Euro 2024 team guide and best bets: Hungary
Could Hungary be Euro 2024's overachievers?
Get clued up on Marco Rossi's men with Odds Now's comprehensive team guide, featuring tactical analysis, players to watch out for, predicted line-ups, betting tips and more.
How Hungary qualified for Euro 2024
Hungary are enjoying quite the renaissance on the international stage having made it to a third straight European Championship via an unbeaten qualification campaign.
Placed in an open group with Serbia, Montenegro, Lithuania and Bulgaria, Marco Rossi’s men manoeuvred their way through with minimal fuss, securing five wins and three draws from eight outings to seal top spot.
Four of those victories were achieved in Budapest, with top goalscorer honours shared between Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai and Ferencvaros forward Barnabas Varga who notched four times apiece.
Finding the net is no issue for this side. Aside from a rare 0-0 in Montenegro, every other qualifier saw the Hungarians net two or three goals.
Few sides will arrive in Germany with more confidence.
Hungary's squad for Euro 2024
Hungary named a 26-man squad ahead of the tournament:
Goalkeepers: Dénes Dibusz (Ferencváros), Péter Gulácsi (Leipzig), Péter Szappanos (Paks)
Defenders: Botond Balogh (Parma), Bendegúz Bolla (Rapid Wien), Endre Botka (Ferencváros), Márton Dárdai (Hertha Berlin), Attila Fiola (Fehérvár), Miloš Kerkez (Bournemouth), Ádám Lang (Omonoia), Zsolt Nagy (Puskás Akadémia), Loïc Négo (Le Havre), Willi Orbán (Leipzig), Attila Szalai (Freiburg)
Midfielders: Dániel Gazdag (Philadelphia Union), Mihály Kata (MTK Budapest), László Kleinheisler (Hajduk Split), Ádám Nagy (Spezia), András Schäfer (Union Berlin), Callum Styles (Sunderland), Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool)
Forwards: Martin Ádám (Ulsan HD), Kevin Csoboth (Újpest), Kristofer Horváth (Kecskemét), Roland Sallai (Freiburg), Barnabás Varga (Ferencváros)
Hungary's predicted starting XI for Euro 2024
Hungary's star player - Dominik Szoboszlai
It could be argued the beauty of this Hungary side is that it is not reliant on star players, though Szoboszlai has certainly earned that status since completing a £60million move to Liverpool last summer.
Truth told, it has been a tough first campaign for the dynamic midfielder at Anfield, having started with much promise before falling foul to a hamstring injury around the turn of the year.
Since then, he has been limited to a bit-part player in the final months of the Jurgen Klopp era, though the 23-year-old still looks to have a crucial role to play in Merseyside over the coming years.
Rossi is hoping that Szoboszlai’s lack of recent action could play in the favour of his nation in Germany.
He said: “Knowing him, he certainly won't be bothered by this situation.
“I think that he’s thinking that in the time that he’s not spending on the pitch with Liverpool will give him more power and more freshness for our matches. I hope for this.
“He’s already focused on the European Championship. He will arrive fresh and this is good overall for us.”
Blessed with boundless energy and a fierce right foot, do not expect the Hungarian talisman to be shy when the ball falls to him within shooting range.
Hungary's one to watch - MIlos Kerkez
Bournemouth picked up 20-year-old left-back Milos Kerkez from Dutch side AZ Alkmaar last summer and the youngster has had no issues adapting to Premier League life.
The Cherries are on an upward curve under their savvy boss Andoni Iraola and Kerkez has been one of his brightest sparks, marauding up his flank with pace and trickery.
He possesses everything required from a modern-day full-back but crucially also loves the art of defending, flying into tackles with tenacity reminiscent of a previous generation.
On the international stage, the bulk of Kerkez’s caps to date have come in left midfield with Rossi clearly keen to utilise his rounded skillset.
Fittingly, his debut came during a 1-0 away win over Germany — a trick he will be hoping to repeat in June.
It is no surprise that the youngster’s club performances are already drawing admiring glances from the elite, with Manchester United among those said to have expressed an interest.
On that speculation, Kerkez said: “I am not occupied with transfer news. The people who take care of me deal with all of that, I am only focused on Bournemouth.
“I know I am young, I know what I can do and what level I can get to, so I just have to see what happens in the future.”
Hungary's manager — Marco Rossi
Italian Rossi has not exactly followed the guidebook when plotting his managerial career path.
Having spent his playing days as a dependable defender almost exclusively in his homeland, the 59-year-old’s decision to take up the reins at Budapest Honved in 2012 was an eyebrow-raiser.
It was to become a turning point in his life. Two spells in the capital across four seasons eventually ended with the first division title in May 2017 and after a single season across the Slovakian border, Rossi was coaxed back to Hungary to take over the national side.
His results since have been remarkable. Qualifying for Euro 2020 via the play-offs, they could hardly have exited with more credit when holding France and Germany to draws alongside a late loss to Portugal.
Any suggestions those performances were a flash in the pan were then swiftly put to bed as Rossi masterminded two outstanding Nations League campaigns.
First, they topped a League B group featuring Russia, Serbia and Turkey to earn promotion to the highest tier. Then, up against the might of England, Germany and Italy, they racked up 10 points — missing out on a finals spot to the Azzurri by just one point.
Beating the Three Lions and Die Mannschaft away from home have rightly earned Rossi legendary status in his adopted nation and he will hope to add further chapters to the fairytale this summer.
Hungary's Euro 2024 betting odds
Hungary to win Euro 2024 - 100/1
Hungary to reach the Euro 2024 final - 40/1
Hungary to win Group A - 9/1
Hungary top team goalscorer - Dominik Szoboszlai 2/1, Barnabas Varga 4/1, Roland Sallai 4/1, Daniel Gazdag 5/1, 6/1 BAR
*All best UK prices available as of 28/05/24
Analysis and best bets for Hungary at Euro 2024
Expert anaylsis from Odds Now's Matthew Hill:
“While England and Germany sit first and third in the antepost betting, the Hungary team who recently caused both nations gigantic headaches are 100/1 rank outsiders for Euro 2024 glory.
“Marco Rossi’s men arrive in Germany unbeaten in 14 matches and have actually lost just twice since March 2022 — both narrow defeats to Italy in the Nations League.
“While they may not have the sex appeal of the market leaders, this is as well organised a group of players as you are likely to find on the international stage, playing under a criminally underrated tactician in Rossi.
“Granted, their draw could’ve been kinder from a betting perspective but with great challenge comes great opportunity.
“I think the 5/2 about them beating Switzerland in their opener is one of the best punts of the group stage, while 8/1 about them stunning Germany (again) could be of interest given both could theoretically be through at that stage and the favourites may rotate more heavily.
“The 4/5 on them reaching the knockouts looks a gift for multiples and beyond that, 12/1 on a run to the semi-finals and a few pennies on the 100/1 outright (EW) are worth small investments.”
Above: Check out our full betting preview for Group A on the OddsNow YouTube channel.
Matt's best bets
Hungary to qualify from Group A - 4/5
Hungary to beat Switzerland - 27/10
Hungary to reach the semi-finals - 14/1
Hungary to win Euro 2024 - 150/1 (each way)