Sándor Kocsis Péter is the most lethal international striker of all time. In 68 matches for Hungary between 1948 and 1956, Kocsis racked up 75 goals, meaning not even the great Gerd Müller could boast as great a goals to game ratio. Müller scored 68 goals in 62 appearances for West Germany. Kocsis also had a number of firsts in the game, becoming the first man to score two hat-tricks in one World Cup outing. In 1954, Kocsis would score 11 goals for Hungary at the World Cup with France’s Just Fontaine, the only man to ever do better. Kocsis’ international goalscoring record is even more impressive when you consider he relegated teammate Ferenc Puskás to third on the all-time list of most lethal strikers. Puskás ended his international career with 84 goals from 85 matches. Kocsis would end his career having scored an international hat-trick on seven occasions. For club Kocsis was no slouch either, ending a career spanning 434 games with 341 goals, a more-than-competent achievement. The striker, who died at just 49 after falling from the fourth floor of a hospital in Barcelona, could lay claim to being the greatest striker of all time. At the time of his death he was being treated for Lukemia and stomach cancer, leaving speculation that his death was a suicide, rife.
Playing Career
Full name: Sándor Kocsis Péter
Date of birth: 21 September 1929
Place of birth: Budapest, Hungary
Date of Death: 22 July 1979 (aged 49)
Place of Death: Barcelona, Spain
Playing position: Striker
Club Career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
- 1945–1946 Köbanyai TC 5 (0)
- 1946–1950 Ferencváros 59 (40)
- 1950 ÉDOSZ 30 (30)
- 1950–1957 Honvéd 145 (153)
- 1957–1958 Young Fellows Zürich 11 (7)
- 1958–1965 Barcelona 184 (111)
- 1961 Valencia (guest)
- Total 434 (341)
Club Honours
- Ferencváros TC - Hungarian Champions: 1949
- Honvéd FC - Hungarian Champions (3): 1952, 1954, 1955
- Barcelona - Spanish Champions (2): 1958–59, 1959–60; Copa del Generalísimo (2): 1958–59, 1962–63; Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: 1958–60
International Career
- 1948-1956 Hungary 68 (75)
International Honours
- Olympic Champions: 1952
- Central European Champions: 1953
- FIFA World Cup Runner up: 1954
Individual Honours
- Hungarian Football Federation Player of the Year: 1954
- FIFA World Cup Golden Boot: 1954
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1954
- World Soccer: The 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time
- Ballon d'Or: 8th place 1956