Two Hungarian Football Players Make It to Prestigious International Ranking

MTI-Hungary Today 2025.01.03.

L-R: Dominik Szoboszlai, Zsolt Nagy and Barnabás Varga

The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) each year ranks football players based on their goals. Their ranking for the period January 1 to December 31, 2024 includes two Hungarian athletes, Dominik Szoboszlai and Barnabás Varga, both core members of the Hungarian national football team.

The IFFHS observes the football players’ goals scored either for their national team or at international cup matches with their club teams.

Dominik Szoboszlai, captain of the Hungarian national team and midfielder for Liverpool FC, is 54th on the scoring charts, with five goals for the national team and three for his English club team.

Barnabás Varga, also a member of the national team and striker at Ferencváros, managed to earn the 59th place on the IFFHS list, with three goals for the national team and five goals for Ferencváros.

Barnabás Varga of Ferencváros (in the middle) after scoring his second goal during the match against Dinamo Kiev in the 4th round of the Europa League at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, 7 November 2024. Photo: MTI/MTI Fotószerkesztõség/Czeglédi Zsolt

Fact

Barnabás Varga suffered a horrid injury at the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship when Hungary played against Scotland. At the 68th minute of the match, the Hungarian striker collided with the Scotland goalkeeper, after which he was treated on the pitch for several minutes and then transferred to a local hospital. It later emerged that the 29-year-old had suffered multiple fractures to his cheekbone and a concussion, and was taken to hospital for surgery. Though the incident caused a huge scare, fortunately the striker was able to get back to training a few weeks later.

On the IFFHS’ list, Morocco’s Sufian Rahimi has been named the 2024 international football goalscorer. Rahimi, who plays for al-Ain in the United Arab Emirates, finished top with 20 goals, having scored 16 times in Asian Cups and four times for Morocco. His compatriot Ajub el-Kabi of Greek Olympiakos has 19 goals for the national team and in European cup competitions (4 plus 15), while third-placed Erling Haaland, the Norwegian national team and Manchester City striker, has 17 (11+6).

Swedish footballer Viktor Gyökeres, who has Hungarian roots, also made the list, and was only knocked off the podium by the fact that he scored one fewer goal than Haaland in the national team.

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Via MTI, Featured image via MTI/Illyés Tibor