ORTH OR PUSKÁS?
WHO WAS THE BEST HUNGARIAN FOOTBALLER OF ALL TIME?
Lépes I. | 24/12/1972

The last five decades have given the world many great football greats. So who would be able to answer the question of who was the best Hungarian footballer of the past five decades without hesitation?

An excellent and recognized football chronicler once wrote about György Orth like this:


— I am not writing these laudatory epithets under the influence of time, which beautifies everything. For years, I visited the countries of the globe, saw the sons of many nations play football, and even played against them myself. Based on the filtered experience, I can conclude that no footballer as talented as György Orth, MTK's wonder player, has played on the five continents.


The writer of the above lines was asked whether he maintains his claim that György Orth was the greatest footballer of all time.

He replied:


— Look, I'll be honest, I didn't think much about it. So suddenly I can't even express a reasoned opinion, although I can guess who they are thinking of: PUSKÁS.


It hit him, as several people in the company were thinking of Ferenc Puskás.


— Well, to be honest, there are many common features between Puskás and Orth's playing skills. Both players are real ball artists. Their special start to the ball is unique in the history of football. Many times it seemed to the spectators that the ball was hidden and only they were playing with it.


A contemporary of mine intervened, emphasizing Ferenc Puskás' boundless love of football, for whom football was child's play in the strictest sense of the word. Öcsi did not see football as work, not as bread-winning that requires sweat, but as real play. He inexhaustibly poured out his innovations in every match. He did such fantastic things with the ball that no one would have guessed.

Öcsi surprised the audience with sparkling spirited play in every match. Above all, he made the most of the field game, and during the game he often got into fights with both his teammates and the referee. Sometimes he expressed his displeasure with his hands on his hips. His face was red, he was angry, but in the next moment he was already running and irresistibly rushing towards the opponent's goal.
 
The company listened to the words of the old expert with a smile, and the following remark was made.

Everything they say is true, but they didn't see Gyuri Orth play. If they had seen him, they would have a different opinion about this amazingly talented footballer.


— I'm sorry, but you're wrong —, said one of the members. — I saw Orth play, and that's why I dare to say that Ferenc Puskás surpassed György Orth's skills.


Let's see what the two football giants knew. Both of them handled the ball perfectly, and then they were able to dribble wonderfully. No matter which side the ball came from, they could kick it into the goal with both feet, or pass it if they had to. Not only with their feet, but with their heads, shoulders or any part of their body, they pulled the ball towards them like a magnet, and it obeyed them as if they were bewitched. Both players were juggling football. They carried out their ideas with amazing ease. With their body movements, they embarrassed their opponents and tricked them into a trap. If they had the ball, no one knew in advance what they would do with it. None of them could be catched. No effort was spared during the training sessions. They worked a lot, but always with the ball. In short, in a nutshell, this much can be said about the two best footballers of all time, György Orth and Ferenc Puskás.