Given the city’s suitability for quick getaways, it’s little surprise that a weekend groundhopping in Budapest is such an enticing prospect.
Venture a little from the many charming cafes, bars, and restaurants in the Hungarian capital, though, and you can find a fascinating mix of state-of-the-art modern stadia and crumbling old Soviet-era grounds, full of character and faded grandeur.
Here’s a fast breakdown of Budapest’s football teams, as well as some of the key things you need to know about groundhopping here.
Grounds I Have Visited
Hidegkuti Nándor (MTK Budapest 0-3 Gyirmót) | 5 Nov 2021
Budapest Football Teams: A Who’s Who
There are several professional football teams in Budapest (and the surrounding area), including:
Tier 1
- Ferencváros
- Honvéd
- MTK Budapest
- Újpest
Tier 2
- III. Kerület
- Soroksár
- Vasas SC
- Budafok
Tier 3
- BKV Előre
- Újpest II
- Honvéd II
- Erzsébeti Spartacus
- Ferencváros II
- Rákosmente
- Szabadkikötő
The 4th tier Budapesti labdarúgó első osztály is the first step of regional football in the county of Budapest, and extends to tier 10. There are around 190 semi-professional and amateur clubs in Budapest across these divisions.
Ticket Information
It’s relatively easy to get tickets in Budapest. Average attendances in the city are, like the rest of Hungary, disappointingly low. For instance, the following table is based on attendance data from the 2021/22 season:
| Club | Stadium | Capacity | Avg. Att | Satiety |
| Ferencvárosi TC | Groupama Aréna | 23,698 | 8,145 | 34% |
| Budapest Honvéd FC | Bozsik Aréna | 8,200 | 2,737 | 33% |
| MTK Budapest | Új Hidegkuti Nándor Stadion | 5,322 | 1,746 | 33% |
| Újpest FC | Szusza Ferenc Stadion | 12,670 | 1,566 | 12% |
| III. Kerület | Hévízi úti Stadion | 3,000 | 427 | 14% |
| Vasas | Új Illovszky Rudolf Stadion | 5,054 | 1,233 | 24% |
| Budafok | Promontor utcai Stadion | 4,000 | 377 | 9% |
| Soroksár | Szamosi Mihály Sporttelep | 5,000 | 315 | 6% |
| 8,368 | 2,068 | 25% |
Other Sports in Budapest
Football is by far and away the most popular sport in Budapest (and, indeed, Hungary in general). However, it regularly hosts a wide range of other international sporting events, including athletics championships. The Hungarian Grand Prix will also continue to host Formula 1 races until 2026 at the iconic Hungaroring in Mogyoród, just outside the city.
Several clubs also play in the Hungarian and Hungarian/Romanian ice hockey leagues.
Transport Links
Internationally, Budapest is served by Ferenc Liszt International Airport, which is around 22km from the city centre. As many of Budapest’s stadiums are new builds (and often part of high-traffic commercial spaces), internal transport links are regular and modern.
The city operates long-standing Metro and tram networks, as well as a local bus service. It’s worth noting that Uber are banned from operating in Budapest, but ridesharing alternatives such as Wolt exist.
You can find more detailed transport information on the official Budapest tourism website.
