The title of uncrowned king probably started to rise in the Netherlands in the 70s, when the Dutch team led by Michels had top superstars like Cruyff, and the whole team was talented and the king of world football in the eyes of many people. However, in the 1974 World Cup final, the Netherlands lost to the host Germany and finished second. A lot of people complained about the Netherlands and thought they were the better team. And the title of the uncrowned king may just go away. In the 1978 World Cup, although the Netherlands did not have Cruyff, they were still strong, but this time they were still runners-up. The seat of the uncrowned king is a little more solid.
In the 2010 World Cup, the Netherlands won the runner-up again, and at this time, the title of uncrowned king has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.
Of course, the uncrowned king doesn't have to refer to the Netherlands. In world football, any team whose strength is at the top but does not win the championship because of luck, performance and other factors can be called the uncrowned king. To put it simply, the uncrowned king is a team that has the strength of a king, but does not sit on the throne of the king.
Speaking of which, many fans may think of another great god team from ancient times, Hungary. In the 50s, Hungary was the number one powerhouse in the sky, and it didn't need to be embellished with such a word. Britain was so good at the time that they were beaten unbeaten at home by Hungary at Wembley, and the score was a terrifying 6:3. And such a score, which may be a little scary now, but in the 50s, it was commonplace for Hungary.
The story of the 1954 World Cup is familiar to everyone, with the Bern miracle achieving Germany's first World Cup triumph and Hungary changing the backdrop. But just like the emotional tendencies of the 1974 World Cup, many people felt that Hungary was the best team, that they were much better than Germany, and that they deserved to win the title. From this point of view, Hungary, with superstars such as Puskas and Kochis, seems to be more worthy of being called the uncrowned king.
But don't be too sorry for what happened to Hungary. Although it lost the World Cup title, in the 50s, Hungary had a laurel that perhaps weighed more than the World Cup title. With this title, Hungary will not be associated with the title of uncrowned king.
In 1952, Hungary won the men's Olympic championship.
You must know that the early Olympic men's football champions were very heavy, even more than the World Cup in the same period. At that time, the World Cup had only been held for five years, and the Olympic Games had been held since 1908, more than 20 years before the World Cup. What's more, at that time, the Olympic men's football competition, the participating teams were all first-team national teams, not as now, there was an age limit. Therefore, the gold content of the Olympic men's football championship at that time was extremely high, no less than the World Cup champion, and even more than the World Cup champion of the same period.
At that Olympics, Hungary defeated Norway 2-1, Italy 3-0, Turkey 7-1 and Yugoslavia 2-0 to win the championship. The four matches were full of gold and showed the super strength of Hungary.
With this Olympic men's football gold medal, Hungary went to the 1954 World Cup with the halo of a champion. It's a shame to lose the final, but with the previous Olympic gold medals, Hungary is at least much better than the Netherlands in the 70s.
Hungarian football itself has a subtle retro tinge to it, and over the years, Hungary has seen a resurgence and rise, and while it doesn't suddenly return to the front-line ranks, it gives the impression that they are moving forward. Euro 2024, let's see if Hungary can remind us of the black and white era.