Hungary men’s football coach Marco Rossi names 26-Man Squad for Euro 2024

With the 2024 European Championship set to kick off in mid-June, the Hungarian national team under coach Marco Rossi has named its squad for the tournament. The Magyarok will start their Euros campaign with a Group A showdown against Switzerland on June 15. 

Marco Rossi’s team qualified for the 2024 UEFA Euro after a hard-fought draw against Bulgaria in matchday nine of the qualifiers secured their place. This now marks Hungary’s fifth Euros appearance, after initially going 44 years without qualifying for the tournament until 2016. 

The national team has a rich history in the competition, predating the 1980s. In 1964, led by the legendary Ferenc Puskás, Hungary finished third at the European Championship. An unfortunate third place match loss would see the team finish the 1972 Euros in fourth place. Since then, the team has struggled to make a mark in the tournament. 

Notwithstanding, the Nemzeti Tizenegy will be looking to remedy an early group stage exit from EURO 2020 at Germany come June 15. Here is a list of Marco Rossi’s men ahead of the competition. 

Goalkeepers

In between the sticks, Rossi has named RB Leipzig’s number one Péter Gulácsi as his first-choice goalkeeper. Gulácsi, who finished 4th with Leipzig in the Bundesliga ended the season with an injury, but he’s expected to fully recover in time for the first match of the Euros. 

However, if the 33-year-old is unfit, Ferencváros’ Dénes Dibusz will be the coach’s top choice replacement. Peter Szappanos from Paks has also made the team traveling to Germany. 

Defenders

Rossi has named seven defenders for the competition, with his vice-captain Attila Szalai leading the defence. Willi Orbán (RB Leipzig), Endre Botka (Ferencvaros), Botond Balogh (Parma), and Márton Dárdai (Hertha BSC) will also be looking to be a part of the coach’s favored three-man backline. 

Attila Fiola and Ádám Lang who were out injured towards the end of the season are also listed in the squad in the hopes of recovery. 

Midfielders

Hungary’s midfield is quite stacked and will heavily feature Liverpool ace Dominik Szoboszlai who doubles as the national team’s captain. Union Berlin midfielder András Schäfer and Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez are also a part of the squad. Completing the 10-man midfield is Loïc Négo, Ádám Nagy, Bendegúz Bolla, László Kleinheisler, Callum Styles, Zsolt Nagy and Mihali Kata.

Strikers

Only one of Hungary’s named strikers plays in a top-five European league, and that’s none other than Freiburg’s Rolland Sallai. The 27-year-old has scored 11 goals in less than 50 appearances for Hungary. He is joined by youngster Zalan Vansca as well as Martin Ádám, Barnabás Varga and Krisztofer Horváth in front of goal. Kevin Csoboth and US-based Daniel Gazdag also made the squad list. 

Matches

Hungary is in Group A alongside hosts and tournament favorites Germany. They also face Switzerland and Scotland in the same group. With Trikolór’s first game against the Swiss national team set to be played in Cologne, Hungary will go on to face Germany and Scotland in quick succession.

The games against Germany and Scotland will be played in Stuttgart. Hungary faces significantly tough opposition, reminiscent of its 2020 campaign which saw it face European giants France, Germany and Portugal. 

Winning Odds

As expected, Hungary faces long odds to win the European Championship. Countries like England, Italy, France, Portugal and host Germany are tipped by bettors around the world to lift the coveted trophy. 

On sports betting sites, Hungary’s odds to win are listed as +8000. Hungarian sportsbooks and top platforms in jurisdictions like Canada and the US will all offer an option to bet on futures and live matches as they come, while offering bonuses. 

Concluding Thoughts on Hungary’s European Championship Charge 

It has been 60 years since Hungary’s best performance at the Euros and over 50 years since the Magyarok last reached the semifinals. With international stars like Szoboszlai and Sallai in the team, there’s a good chance that Hungary can pull an upset. However, all eyes will be on the first group game as it will give a sneak peek into how far the national team can go in the competition.