World Cup Stories, 1954: Puskas and the kick that won the World Cup
Hungary were the best team in the world. The ‘Magnificent Magyars’ were Olympic champions, and went into the 1954 World Cup on a 32-game unbeaten run. “Their speed, ball control and positional play were as near perfect as one could hope to see,” wrote The Guardian after England’s 6–3 home humbling in 1953.
By the following year, the Hungarians had gone from being unknown “men from Mars”, as Sir Bobby Robson put it, to well-known names — particularly their talismanic captain Ferenc Puskas. Nicknamed the Galloping Major because of his role in the Hungarian army, Puskas was a stocky yet skilful inside left.
He scored twice in his country’s first game of the World Cup, a 9–0 thrashing of South Korea, and it seemed certain that the hot favourites would win the trophy.
Three weeks later, though, instead of celebrations on the streets of Budapest, a group of angry young demonstrators were smashing windows at the state football pools, and at team manager Gustav Sebes’ flat. “Indignation was principally aimed at Mr Sebes, and at Puskas, the captain,” wrote The Times. Hungary had lost 3–2 to West Germany in the final — a shock result that became known as the ‘Miracle of Berne’.
Tiny margins settle big tournaments, and Hungary’s World Cup started to unravel with a tackle — one that Brian Glanville later called ‘the kick that won the World Cup’. The Magyars were 5–1 up and cruising with 20 minutes to go in their group game against West Germany, when Puskas was tackled by big blond centre-half Werner Liebrich. Liebrich had a reputation for robust play and, according to Puskas, the tackle was “a vicious kick on the back of my ankle when I was no longer playing the ball”. The German players dispute this; captain Fritz Walter says Puskas landed awkwardly. What’s certain is that he had a serious ankle injury.
He still managed to play a part in the infamous ‘Battle of Berne’ — his country’s ill-tempered quarter final against Brazil. The Express reported that Puskas “got into the action immediately the match was over, and was seen fighting desperately with the Brazilian Pinneiro. Spectators joined in the fight and Pinneiro collapsed, apparently hit in the head with an iron bar.”
Puskas’ ankle was monitored to almost the same extent as David Beckham’s metatarsal in the days leading up to the final. Initial X-rays revealed that the main ligament in his left ankle was almost severed. On the Wednesday, Hungary’s team doctor said it would be a miracle if he made it, but by Friday his chances had been upgraded to 50/50. He returned for the final, but it proved to be one of the biggest mistakes in World Cup history.
It didn’t seem that way when he scored after six minutes as the Hungarians raced into a two-goal lead. Overall, though, he was a shadow of his usual self, missing chances and misplacing passes as he struggled to find accuracy. His inclusion had a knock-on effect — winger Lazlo Budai had played well in the semi final, but was dropped for the final, apparently because Puskas was jealous of him. This meant Hungary’s wingers, who didn’t get on well with their captain either, had to be reshuffled, playing in unfamiliar roles. They struggled, to the extent that Hungary’s sports minister reportedly came down at half time to order Sebes to switch them over.
By that point the Germans had pulled it back to 2–2. In the second half, Puskas tired — shackled by Liebrich — and West Germany improved, taking the lead through Helmut Rahn. With two minutes to go, the captain put the ball in to equalise, but the English linesman flagged, controversially, for offside. Against all the odds, West Germany had won the World Cup — and they owed it all to a little kick.
Or did they? After the game, Puskas accused the West Germans of doping, and several fell ill with jaundice, supposedly caught from sharing syringes. Coaches claimed the injections were vitamin C, but a modern report alleges that they were given methamphetamines at half time.
This is the fifth in a series of World Cup Stories that were first published in Sport magazine in the run-up to the 2014 tournament in Brazil.
I’ll be re-posting one a week until the tournament — there’s also an ebook if you just can’t wait.
