Turkish-Hungarian football ties take center stage in Budapest exhibition

As part of the 2024 Turkish-Hungarian Year of Culture, an exhibition in Budapest, Hungary, highlighting the friendly football relations between the two countries, opened Wednesday.

"This exhibition shows how close Türkiye and Hungary are, not only in football but also in terms of cultural and human values. We will strengthen our brotherhood and friendship on the green pitch," said Turkish Ambassador to Budapest Gulsen Karanis Eksioglu, who attended the opening ceremony.

The exhibition titled "Turkish-Hungarian Brotherhood on the Green" has been organized by the Embassy of Türkiye at the Yunus Emre Institute Turkish Cultural Center with contributions from the Hungarian Olympic and Sports Museum.

The exhibition depicts the shared history of Turkish and Hungarian football, as well as both countries' experiences in the sport, their friendship, and strong ties.

Visitors will be able to view photographs highlighting memorable matches between the two nations, football jerseys, equipment, and the life stories of Hungarian football players who contributed to Turkish clubs such as Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, and Besiktas.

Several Hungarian footballers have previously played for Turkish teams, including well-known players like Attila Szalai and Balazs Dzsudzsak. Szalai, a Hungarian international, served as a defender for Fenerbahce from 2021 to 2023, while former PSV Eindhoven attacking midfielder Dzsudzsak represented Bursaspor during the 2015-16 football seasons.

Türkiye and Hungary have a long history of football encounters, including European qualifiers, FIFA World Cup qualifiers, UEFA Nations League matches, and friendly matches.

Ankara and Budapest have strong bonds and celebrate 2024 as their joint year of culture. 

Source: Newsroom