Ádám Szalai facts for kids
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Szalai with Hungary in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ádám Csaba Szalai | ||
| Date of birth | 9 December 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Budapest, Hungary | ||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–2000 | Honvéd | ||
| 2000–2004 | Újpest | ||
| 2004–2006 | VfB Stuttgart | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2007 | VfB Stuttgart II | 33 | (5) |
| 2007–2010 | Real Madrid B | 79 | (23) |
| 2010 | → Mainz 05 (loan) | 15 | (1) |
| 2010–2013 | Mainz 05 | 64 | (20) |
| 2013–2014 | Schalke 04 | 28 | (7) |
| 2014–2019 | 1899 Hoffenheim | 100 | (23) |
| 2016 | → Hannover 96 (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2019–2022 | Mainz 05 | 57 | (3) |
| 2022–2023 | Basel | 17 | (4) |
| Total | 405 | (86) | |
| International career | |||
| 2007 | Hungary U20 | 11 | (6) |
| 2007–2008 | Hungary U21 | 6 | (5) |
| 2009–2022 | Hungary | 86 | (26) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ádám Csaba Szalai (born 9 December 1987) is a Hungarian former professional footballer. He played as a forward, which means he was usually trying to score goals.
Ádám spent most of his football career playing in Germany. He joined VfB Stuttgart in 2004. Later, he played for several other German teams like Mainz 05, Schalke 04, 1899 Hoffenheim, and Hannover 96 in the top league, the Bundesliga. He also spent three years playing in Spain for Real Madrid Castilla.
Ádám Szalai played for the Hungarian national team from 2009 until 2022. He played in 86 international matches and scored 26 goals. He also represented Hungary in two major tournaments, the European Championships, scoring one goal in each. He retired from playing football in July 2023.
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out and Stuttgart
Ádám Szalai began his football journey in his hometown of Budapest, Hungary. He played for youth teams at Budapest Honvéd FC and Újpest FC. In 2004, he moved to Germany to continue his training. He spent two years at the youth academy of VfB Stuttgart.
He started playing in senior matches during the 2006–07 season. He played for Stuttgart's reserve team in a league called Regionalliga Süd.
Playing for Real Madrid's B Team
In August 2007, Szalai moved to Spain to join Real Madrid Castilla. This is the reserve team for the famous club Real Madrid. He was transferred for about €500,000.
In his second season with Real Madrid Castilla, he scored 16 goals in 37 games. However, his team finished sixth in their league, the Segunda División B, and did not make it to the playoffs.
Time at Mainz 05
On 9 January 2010, Ádám Szalai was loaned to 1. FSV Mainz 05 in Germany until June. He played his first game in the Bundesliga seven days later. He came on as a substitute in a match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
Szalai scored his first goal for Mainz on 10 April 2010, helping his team win 1–0 against Borussia Dortmund. He scored another important goal against FC Bayern Munich on 25 September. This goal helped Mainz win 2–1 away from home. This was part of a great run where Mainz won six games in a row. On 29 January 2011, he got a serious knee injury, which kept him from playing for the rest of that season.
On 22 January 2012, Szalai returned to playing for Mainz after his injury. He played in the second half of a game against Leverkusen. On 1 August, he signed a new contract with Mainz until June 2015. On 27 October, he scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) for the team. This helped Mainz win 3–0 against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
On 10 February 2013, Szalai scored his 12th goal of the season against FC Augsburg. This made him the Hungarian player who had scored the most goals in a single German top-division season. He broke the record held by Lajos Détári and Vasile Miriuță.
Joining Schalke 04
On 27 June 2013, Szalai signed a four-year contract with Schalke 04. He played his first official game for Schalke in the DFB-Pokal cup. His first league match was against Hamburger SV, where he scored a goal in a 3–3 draw.
Szalai also played a big part in helping Schalke reach the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. He scored two goals in a match against PAOK FC, helping his team win 3–2 and move forward in the competition.
Time at Hoffenheim
On 3 July 2014, Szalai moved to Hoffenheim for €6 million. The club's sporting director said that Szalai fit well with their playing style. He made his debut for Hoffenheim against Augsburg, scoring the first goal in a 2–0 win. He was even voted "Player of the Day" on the Bundesliga website.
On 22 November 2014, Szalai was sent off (given a red card) for the first time in his career. This happened after he committed a foul in a game against Bayern Munich. He was banned for two matches. On 12 December, he came on as a substitute in a game against Eintracht Frankfurt. He scored a goal to make the score 2–2 and later helped set up the winning goal for his team.
On 4 January 2016, Szalai was loaned to Hannover 96 for the rest of that season.
Back to Mainz
On 27 August 2019, Szalai returned to Mainz on a free transfer. He signed a two-year contract. During his second time at Mainz, he was mostly a reserve player and scored four goals in all competitions.
Playing for Basel
On 16 February 2022, Szalai joined FC Basel in Switzerland. He signed a contract until June 2023. He scored a goal on his first game in the Swiss Super League three days later. Basel won that home game 3–0 against FC Lausanne-Sport.
Szalai's contract with Basel ended early on 29 January 2023. In July 2023, he announced that he was retiring from playing football at the age of 35.
International Career for Hungary
Szalai played regularly for the Hungarian under-21 team. On 11 February 2009, he played his first game for the senior national team. This was in a friendly match against Israel. On 8 October 2010, he scored three goals in a game against San Marino. Hungary won that match 8–0. Four days later, he scored another goal in a 2–1 win against Finland.
On 29 February 2012, Szalai returned to the national team after his injury. He scored a goal in a friendly draw against Bulgaria. On 7 September, he scored a goal in Hungary's first 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match. Hungary won 5–0 against Andorra.
On 16 October 2012, Szalai helped Hungary win 3–1 against Turkey. He scored the second goal in that game.
A Disagreement and Return
After a big 8–1 loss to the Netherlands in a 2014 World Cup qualifying game, Szalai spoke openly about why he thought the national team had not been performing well for a long time. After this, he was not called to play for the national team for a while.
On 13 November 2013, a coach from a Hungarian club, Attila Pintér, commented on Szalai's statements. He questioned Szalai's honesty. Hungary played its first match of 2014 on 5 March, and Szalai was not included in the team. He said he couldn't comment on his future with the national team because he wasn't invited.
On 28 August 2014, Pintér announced his team for a Euro 2016 qualifier, and Szalai was still not on the list. On 4 September, Szalai posted on his Facebook page that he would not play for Hungary as long as Pintér was the coach.
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On 18 September 2014, Pál Dárdai became Hungary's temporary manager. Eight days later, Szalai announced he would return to the national team. The new coach said Szalai was one of the team's "leading personalities."
On 11 October 2014, Szalai played his first game back for Hungary. It was a 1–1 draw against Romania in a Euro 2016 qualifier. Three days later, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 away win against the Faroe Islands. After Hungary won a play-off match to qualify for Euro 2016, Szalai was seen celebrating with fans. He gave a speech and bought drinks for many people.
Szalai was chosen for Hungary's Euro 2016 team. He started and scored the first goal in their opening game, a 2–0 win against Austria. This was his first goal after not scoring for over a year.
On 10 October 2016, Szalai scored his third goal in the 2018 World Cup qualifying matches. This helped Hungary win 2–0 against Latvia. In June 2021, he was chosen as the captain for the Euro 2020 tournament. He scored in the final group game, a 2–2 draw against Germany, and also helped set up another goal.
Szalai announced his retirement from international football for the second time on 21 September 2022. His last match was in the UEFA Nations League against Italy. In October 2024, he joined the coaching staff of the national team under Marco Rossi. His first game as a coach was a 1–1 draw against the Netherlands.
In November 2024, during a game against the Netherlands, Szalai felt unwell on the bench and was taken to the hospital. He was released the next day after his condition became stable.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| VfB Stuttgart II | 2006–07 | Regionalliga Süd | 33 | 5 | — | — | 33 | 5 | ||
| Real Madrid Castilla | 2007–08 | Segunda División B | 29 | 4 | — | — | 29 | 4 | ||
| 2008–09 | 37 | 16 | — | — | 37 | 16 | ||||
| 2009–10 | 13 | 3 | — | — | 13 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 79 | 23 | — | — | 79 | 23 | ||||
| Mainz 05 | 2009–10 | Bundesliga | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | |
| 2010–11 | 20 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | 22 | 5 | |||
| 2011–12 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 | ||
| 2012–13 | 29 | 13 | 4 | 2 | — | 33 | 15 | |||
| Total | 79 | 21 | 6 | 3 | — | 85 | 24 | |||
| Schalke 04 | 2013–14 | Bundesliga | 28 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 40 | 9 |
| 1899 Hoffenheim | 2014–15 | Bundesliga | 26 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | 27 | 5 | |
| 2015–16 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17 | 22 | 8 | 1 | 0 | — | 23 | 8 | |||
| 2017–18 | 18 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 5 | ||
| 2018–19 | 30 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 37 | 6 | ||
| 2019–20 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | |||
| Total | 100 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 113 | 25 | ||
| Hannover 96 (loan) | 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 12 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 | ||
| Mainz 05 | 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 27 | 1 | — | — | 27 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 20 | 2 | |||
| 2021–22 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 14 | 1 | |||
| Total | 57 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 4 | ||
| Basel | 2021–22 | Swiss Super League | 12 | 4 | — | — | 12 | 4 | ||
| 2022–23 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 2 | ||
| Total | 17 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 24 | 6 | ||
| Career total | 405 | 86 | 20 | 7 | 22 | 3 | 447 | 96 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary | 2009 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010 | 5 | 4 | |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 8 | 3 | |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 11 | 5 | |
| 2017 | 2 | 1 | |
| 2018 | 10 | 5 | |
| 2019 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2020 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 11 | 4 | |
| 2022 | 8 | 1 | |
| Total | 86 | 26 | |
- Scores and results list Hungary's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Szalai goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 October 2010 | Ferenc Puskás, Budapest, Hungary |  San Marino |
2–0 | 8–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 2 | 4–0 | |||||
| 3 | 5–0 | |||||
| 4 | 12 October 2010 | Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland |  Finland |
1–0 | 2–1 | |
| 5 | 29 February 2012 | ETO Park, Győr, Hungary |  Bulgaria |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 6 | 7 September 2012 | Estadi Comunal, Andorra la Vella, Andorra |  Andorra |
3–0 | 5–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | 16 October 2012 | Ferenc Puskás, Budapest, Hungary |  Turkey |
2–1 | 3–1 | |
| 8 | 14 October 2014 | Torsvollur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands |  Faroe Islands |
1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying |
| 9 | 14 June 2016 | Nouveau Stade, Bordeaux, France |  Austria |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 |
| 10 | 7 October 2016 | Groupama Arena, Budapest, Hungary |  Switzerland |
1–1 | 2–3 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 2–2 | |||||
| 12 | 10 October 2016 | Skonto Stadium, Riga, Latvia |  Latvia |
2–0 | 2–0 | |
| 13 | 13 November 2016 | Groupama Arena, Budapest, Hungary | Andorra |
4–0 | 4–0 | |
| 14 | 31 August 2017 | Latvia |
2–0 | 3–1 | ||
| 15 | 23 March 2018 |  Kazakhstan |
1–2 | 2–3 | Friendly | |
| 16 | 15 October 2018 | A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia |  Estonia |
2–1 | 3–3 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League C |
| 17 | 3–3 | |||||
| 18 | 15 November 2018 | Groupama Arena, Budapest, Hungary | 2–0 | 2–0 | ||
| 19 | 18 November 2018 | Finland |
1–0 | 2–0 | ||
| 20 | 24 March 2019 |  Croatia |
1–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying | |
| 21 | 15 November 2019 | Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary |  Uruguay |
1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 22 | 25 March 2021 |  Poland |
2–0 | 3–3 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 23 | 28 March 2021 | San Marino Stadium, Serravalle, San Marino | San Marino |
1–0 | 3–0 | |
| 24 | 23 June 2021 | Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany |  Germany |
1–0 | 2–2 | UEFA Euro 2020 |
| 25 | 8 September 2021 | Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary | Andorra |
1–0 | 2–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 26 | 23 September 2022 | Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany | Germany |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
Honours
Individual
- Hungarian Player of The Year: 2012
See also
In Spanish: Ádám Szalai para niños
