The Defining Moment
Hungary 1938
Hungary reached the 1938 final in France as one of European football's great powers, boasting a devastating attack led by György Sárosi and Gyula Zsengellér. In the final, the Magyars stood toe to toe with defending champions Italy, with Sárosi scoring one of Hungary's goals. But the Azzurri proved too strong: Colaussi and Piola combined for a 4-2 win that left Hungary as runners-up. It would be the prelude to a Hungarian golden age that reached its zenith and its greatest heartbreak in Switzerland in 1954.