Kispest-Honvéd Football Club (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈkiʃpɛʃt ˈhonveːd ˈɛft͡seː]), commonly known as Kispest-Honvéd or simply Honvéd, is a Hungarian sports club based in Kispest, Budapest, with the colours of red and black. The club is best known for its football team. Honvéd means the Homeland Defence. Originally formed as Kispest AC, they became Kispest FC in 1926 before reverting to their original name in 1944.
The team enjoyed a golden age during the 1950s when it was renamed Budapesti Honvéd SE and became the Hungarian Army team. The club's top players from this era, Ferenc Puskás, Sándor Kocsis, József Bozsik, Zoltán Czibor, and Gyula Grosics helped the club win the Hungarian League four times during the 1950s and also formed the nucleus of the legendary Hungary national team popularly known as the Mighty Magyars.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, the club enjoyed another successful period, winning a further eight Hungarian League titles. They also won league and cup doubles in 1985 and 1989. In 1991, the club was renamed Kispest Honvéd FC and adopted its current name in 2003.
When the club was originally formed in 1909, it also organised teams that competed in fencing, cycling, gymnastics, wrestling, athletics, boxing, and tennis. Later, the Honvéd family was extended to include a water polo team, now known as Groupama Honvéd, a 33-times basketball-champion team and a handball team that were European Champions in 1982.
Contents
History
Budapest Honvéd FC were founded in 1909 as Kispesti AC. At domestic level they first entered the Nemzeti Bajnokság I in the 1916–17 season. Their first success came in the 1926 Magyar Kupa season when they beat Budapesti EAC in the final. The club had played in the first division since 1916, until the club got relegated to the second division in 2003.
Stadium
Budapest Honvéd's first stadium was opened in 1913. On 5 August 2018, the last match was played at the stadium. The match was won by Honvéd against Paksi FC on the 3rd match day of the 2018–19 Nemzeti Bajnokság I. The only goal was scored by Danilo in the 48th minute. The referee was Viktor Kassai. The stadium was demolished in 2019.
The new stadium of the club was opened in 2021. The first match was played between Budapest Honvéd FC II and Szekszárdi UFC in the 2020–21 Nemzeti Bajnokság III season. The stadium was selected to host the 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Crest and colours
Naming history
1909–1926: Kispesti Athlétikai Club
1926–1944: Kispest FC
1944–1949: Kispesti AC
1949–1950: Honvéd Sport Egyesület
1950–1991: Budapesti Honvéd Sport Egyesület
1991–1996: Kispest-Honvéd FC
1996: Kispest-Honvéd TIG FC
1996–2003: Kispest-Honvéd Football Club
2003–2026: Budapest Honvéd Futball Club
2026–present: Kispest Honvéd FC
Manufacturers and shirt sponsors
The following table shows in detail Budapest Honvéd FC kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors by year:
Honours
Nemzeti Bajnokság I
Winners (14): 1949–50, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1992–93, 2016–17
Nemzeti Bajnokság II
Winners (1): 2003–04
Magyar Kupa
Winners (8): 1925–26, 1964, 1984–85, 1988–89, 1995–96, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2019–20
UEFA Cup
Quarter final (1): 1978–79
Mitropa Cup
Winners (1): 1959
Friendly
Tournoi de Pâques du Red Star
Winners (1): 1932
Trofeo Ciudad de Vigo
Winners (1): 1974
Youth teams
Puskás Cup:
Winners (5): 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016
Seasons
League positions
As of 12 July 2025
In 2003–04 the second tier league called NB I/B.
Players
Current squad
As of 20 August 2026
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Retired numbers
10 – Ferenc Puskás, Forward (1949–56). Number retired in July 2000.
Notable former players
Had senior international cap(s) for their respective countries.
Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries while playing for Budapest Honvéd FC.
Non-playing staff
Management
As of 15 September 2024
First team staff
As of 6 June 2025
Ownership
In 2022, Chris Docherty was appointed as the new sport director of the club.
Chris Docherty said in an interview that the club cannot sign any new players for financial problems in the middle of the 2022-23 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season.
On 22 May 2023, Chris Docherty resigned as sports director. In an article published by Nemzeti Sport, George F. Hemingway, former owner of the club, heavily criticized the management of the club for their relegation to the Nemzeti Bajnokság II after finishing 11th in the 2022–23 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season. Hemingway said that the solid financial background is not enough if there is no expertise.
On 27 April 2024, it was revealed that a Tamás Lisztinger-led business showed interest in purchasing the club.
Owners
2006–2019: Quinex America LLC (George F. Hemingway)
2019–2024: Reditus Equity (Zoltán Bozó)
2024-present: ARAGO-SPORT Kft. (Tamás Leisztinger)
Supporters
Budapest Honvéd FC has been repeatedly sanctioned by UEFA and the Hungarian Football Association for racist chanting by their ultras supporters. In October 2022, Honvéd supporters made racist monkey noises against several opposition players during a match with Zalaegerszegi TE. Subsequently, the Hungarian FA suspended the Zalaegerszegi TE manager Ricardo Moniz for trying to take his team off the pitch in protest. The Honvéd manager Tam Courts also subsequently stepped down over racism of the club's own supporters.