Ferenc Puskás

Ferenc Puskás is considered, alongside Platini and Cruyff, one of the greatest European players of all time. A pure left-footer, he was the charismatic leader of the legendary Hungarian Golden Team of the 1950s, Olympic champions in 1952, as well as the leader and top scorer of the great Real Madrid side of that era alongside the outstanding Alfredo Di Stéfano. But Puskás was much more than that: a complete forward and attacking midfielder with a vast technical repertoire, refined elegance, exceptional vision, and a natural instinct for goal. Few remember that he arrived at Real Madrid at the age of 31, after a long period of inactivity, in poor physical condition, and only because the 1956 Hungarian Revolution scattered the Honvéd players, who were on tour at the time, across Europe. Yet at Real Madrid he was devastating: he scored 243 goals in 262 appearances, won four league titles and three European Cups as a leading figure, as well as an Intercontinental Cup and many other honors, continuing to perform at the highest level until the age of 38, a testament to his extraordinary class.