The Names Heard Long Ago: How the Golden Age of Hungarian Football Shaped the Modern Game

Hungary, 1920s. A school emerges from Budapest that becomes one of the most influential in football history. But war follows, and many players and coaches leave, fleeing anti-Semitism. Italty, Argentina, Brazil, 1950s. Hungary's side are unbeatable. How could this happen? In the cities of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire in the years after World War One, football changed. Rising in popularity alongside the rise of a new middle class, these intellectuals brought an academic, mathematical rigor to the game: discussing not just what was, but what could be. This is the story of football flourishing in Hungary, when professional leagues were established and the game became universally loved across social classes and backgrounds. This is the story of the modern game establishing itself in the hearts of a society blighted by tragedy and famine, a culture that flourished in the shadow of rising fascism and the march toward war. This is the story of this vibrant, tragic era - and how it transformed the game as we know it.