Birthday tribute to Puskás
Tuesday, April 2, 2002
Article summary
Hungarian and Real Madrid CF legend Ferenc Puskás celebrates his 75th birthday today.
Article body
Hungarian and Real Madrid CF legend Ferenc Puskás celebrates his 75th birthday today with a special dinner hosted by his national football association.
Olympic gold
The Hungarian Football Federation is holding the event at Budapest's Hotel Mariott in honour of the "Galloping Major", who led his national side in 1952 to Olympic triumph, part of a four-year unbeaten run only ended by their 1954 FIFA World Cup final defeat by West Germany.
Prolific record
In that time Puskás also inspired a 6-3 win over England at Wembley, making Hungary the first team from outside the British Isles to win an international at that stadium, and he scored an incredible 83 goals in his 84 caps, the most of any European player.
Real move
After his exile following the 1956 uprising in Hungary, he played for several clubs before joining his former coach at Kispest Honvéd FC, Emil Östreicher, then leading Madrid, in 1958. There he won three European Champions Clubs' Cups and scored a record four goals in the 1960 final.
