Hungary faced a tough start to Euro 2024, losing their opening match against Switzerland. Despite the defeat, the team and their captain, Dominik Szoboszlai, managed to unite their supporters with a heartwarming display after the game.
In their Group A opener, Hungary fought back from a 2-0 deficit with Szoboszlai assisting Barnabas Varga for a late goal, giving the team hope. However, they ultimately conceded another goal, resulting in a 3-1 loss. This defeat marked the end of Hungary’s impressive 14-game unbeaten run during their warm-up friendlies.
Nevertheless, Hungary still has a chance to progress to the knockout stage of the tournament. To achieve this, they will need the unwavering support of their fans. The post-match scenes in Cologne demonstrated the strong bond between the players and their supporters.
After the final whistle, Captain Szoboszlai led his teammates over to the Hungary supporters, specifically a section of passionate ultras. They stood in front of them as they all sang their national anthem, Himnusz. The raw emotion was evident on their faces as they held their hands to their hearts. This display of unity and patriotism has become a post-match custom for Szoboszlai since he was appointed captain in 2022.
Looking ahead, Hungary’s next match at Euro 2024 is against the host nation, Germany, on Wednesday night. A positive result in this crucial game is essential if Hungary wants to maintain their hopes of progressing to the last 16. With 24 teams competing in the tournament, four of the six third-placed teams from each group will advance to the knockout stage. The ranking of these third-placed teams will be based on their points tally from the group stage.
Unfortunately, Hungary currently sits at the bottom of the rankings for third-placed teams, with an inferior goal difference to Albania, who also suffered a 2-1 defeat against Italy. This means that Hungary will need to secure a favorable result against Germany and potentially improve their goal difference if they want to keep their tournament dreams alive.