Sándor Kocsis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sándor Kocsis

Kocsis in 1960
Personal information
Full name	Sándor Péter Kocsis
Date of birth	(1929-09-21)21 September 1929
Place of birth	Budapest, Hungary
Date of death	22 July 1979(1979-07-22) (aged 49)
Place of death	Barcelona, Spain
Height	1.77 m
Playing position	Striker
Youth career
1943–1946	Kőbányai TC
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1946	Kőbányai TC	5	(0)
1946–1950	Ferencváros	54	(40)
1950	ÉDOSZ	30	(30)
1950–1956	Honvéd	160	(177)
1957–1958	Young Fellows Zürich	11	(7)
1958–1965	Barcelona	75	(42)
Total		335	(296)
National team
1948–1956	Hungary	68	(75)
Teams managed
1970–1971	Hércules
	Alicante
	Hungary
Honours Men's football Representing  Hungary Olympic Games Gold 1952 Helsinki Central European International Cup Gold 1948–53 Central European International Cup FIFA World Cup Silver 1954 Switzerland Central European International Cup Silver 1955–60 Central European International Cup
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Sándor Péter Kocsis (born September 21, 1929 – died July 22, 1979) was a famous Hungarian footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was mainly focused on scoring goals.

Kocsis was part of the amazing Hungarian team in the 1950s. This team was known as the Mighty Magyars. He played alongside other legends like Ferenc Puskás and Zoltán Czibor.

He was an incredible goalscorer for both his club team, Budapest Honvéd, and the Hungarian national team. In 1952 and 1954, he scored more goals than anyone else in any European league.

For Hungary, he scored 75 goals in just 68 games. That's more than one goal per game! He was the top scorer in the 1954 World Cup with 11 goals. He was also the first player to score two hat-tricks (three goals in one game) in a World Cup. Kocsis was especially good at scoring goals with his head.

After the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, he moved to Spain. There, he joined FC Barcelona and continued his successful career.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting Out in Hungary

Sándor Kocsis was born in Budapest, Hungary. He started playing football as a junior for a team called Kőbányai TC. In 1946, he joined Ferencváros, a bigger club. With them, he won his first Hungarian League title in 1949.

Later, he joined the army club, Honvéd. This team had many famous players like Ferenc Puskás and Zoltán Czibor. At Honvéd, Kocsis helped them win three more Hungarian League titles. These were in 1952, 1954, and 1955. He was also the top goalscorer in the league three times.

Olympic Gold and European Success

Kocsis first played for the senior Hungarian team in 1948. He was a key player in the "Golden Team" that went unbeaten for 32 games in a row. This team did not lose any international matches between 1950 and 1954.

Kocsis scored his first international hat-trick against Sweden in 1949. He scored six goals at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Hungary won the gold medal in football that year!

In 1953, Hungary famously beat England 6–3 at Wembley. The next year, they beat England again, 7–1, in Budapest. Kocsis scored two goals in that second game. Hungary also won the 1948–53 Central European International Cup.

1954 World Cup Journey

Sándor Kocsis in 1953, a year before the World Cup.

Kocsis was the top goalscorer at the 1954 World Cup with 11 goals. He scored two hat-tricks in the tournament. In their first game, Hungary beat South Korea 9–0, and Kocsis scored three goals.

In the next game against Germany, he scored an amazing four goals in an 8–3 win. In the quarter-finals, Hungary played Brazil in a tough game called the Battle of Berne. Kocsis scored twice, and Hungary won 4–2.

Hungary then beat Uruguay in the semi-finals, with Kocsis scoring two goals in extra time. This made the score 4–2. In the final, they met Germany again. This time, Kocsis did not score, and Germany won 3–2.

Moving to Spain and FC Barcelona

In 1956, the Hungarian Revolution happened. Because of this, many players, including Kocsis, decided not to return to Hungary. They looked for new clubs in Western Europe.

Kocsis played one season in Switzerland. Then, another Hungarian player, László Kubala, convinced him to join FC Barcelona in Spain. Kocsis quickly became a very important player for Barcelona.

With Barcelona, he won the Spanish Cup and the Spanish League in 1959. They won the Spanish League and the Fairs Cup again in 1960. In 1961, Barcelona reached the final of the European Cup. Kocsis and Czibor both scored, but Barcelona lost 3–2.

Kocsis scored many important goals for Barcelona. He scored twice in the 1959 Spanish Cup final. He also scored four goals in a European Cup game against Wolves in 1960. In 1963, he scored in another Spanish Cup final, which Barcelona won 3–1.

Life After Football

Sándor Kocsis stopped playing football in 1966. He then opened a restaurant in Barcelona called Tete D’ Or. He also worked as a coach for FC Barcelona and managed a team called Hércules CF for a few years.

Sadly, his coaching career ended when he became ill. Sándor Kocsis passed away on July 22, 1979, at the age of 49.

Honours and Achievements

Ferencváros

• Hungarian Champions: 1949

Honvéd

• Hungarian Champions: 1952, 1954, 1955

Barcelona

• Spanish Champions: 1958–59, 1959–60
• Copa del Generalísimo: 1958–59, 1962–63
• Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: 1958–60

Hungary National Team

• Summer Olympics: Gold Medal in 1952
• Central European International Cup: Winner in 1948–53
• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1954

Individual Awards

• Hungarian Football Federation Player of the Year: 1954
• FIFA World Cup Golden Boot (Top Scorer): 1954
• FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1954

Images for kids

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  Kocsis in 1960

See also

• List of men's footballers with 50 or more international goals
• List of men's footballers with 500 or more goals
• List of Eastern Bloc defectors