Barnabás Varga
Hungarian footballer (born 1994)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Barnabás Varga (born 25 October 1994) is a Hungarian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Greek Super League club AEK Athens and the Hungary national team.
|
Varga celebrating a goal for Hungary in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 October 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Szombathely, Hungary | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | AEK Athens | ||
| Number | 25 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009–2010 | Illés Akadémia[1] | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2016 | SV Eberau | 57 | (35) |
| 2016–2019 | SV Mattersburg II | 57 | (51) |
| 2016–2019 | SV Mattersburg | 16 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | SV Lafnitz | 29 | (11) |
| 2020–2022 | Gyirmót | 58 | (26) |
| 2022–2023 | Paks | 31 | (26) |
| 2023–2026 | Ferencváros | 70 | (42) |
| 2026– | AEK Athens | 17 | (5) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023– | Hungary | 30 | (15) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17 May 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 9 June 2026 | |||
Club career
Paks
With 26 goals for Paks, Varga was the top scorer of the 2022–23 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season.
Ferencváros
2023–24 season
On 1 June 2023, Varga moved to then defending champions, Ferencváros.[2]
On 27 July 2023, Varga scored his first European goal against Shamrock Rovers in the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League.[3]
On 6 August 2023, Varga scored his first goal in the 2023–24 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season against Fehérvár FC at the Sóstói Stadion.[4] On 27 August, he scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 victory over former club Paks in the fifth game day of the league season.[5] He followed this up with another hat-trick in the club's next league match, a 6–2 win over Zalaegerszeg on 3 September.
On 22 October 2023, Varga was injured in a Nemzeti Bajnokság I match against Diósgyőri VTK.[6] Ferencváros manager, Dejan Stanković, said that Varga paid for his matches in the national team.[7][8] Therefore, he had to miss the UEFA Europa League match against K.R.C. Genk.[9]
In an interview with M4 Sport, Gábor Kubatov, the president of Ferencváros, said that he is happy that he had been convinced to purchase the top scorer of the 2022–23 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season. However, Kubatov was hesitating during the summer of 2023 to sign or not to sign Varga.[10]
In January 2024, Varga started training with the team after his injury.[11]
On 6 February 2024, Varga scored four goals in a 5–1 victory over arch-rivals MTK Budapest FC.[12][13][14] After the match, Dejan Stanković, Ferencváros manager, said that Varga is a fascinating football player.[15] In an interview, published on Nemzeti Sport, Varga said that scoring four goals was really beneficial for his soul after his long injury.[16]
On 20 April 2024, the Ferencváros–Kisvárda tie ended with a goalless draw at the Groupama Aréna on the 29th match day of the 2023–24 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season[17] which meant that Ferencváros won their 35th championship.[18][19]
On 15 May 2024, Ferencváros were defeated by Paks 2–0 in the 2024 Magyar Kupa Final at the Puskás Aréna.[20][21]
2024–25 season
On 3 October 2024, he scored against Tottenham Hotspur in the 2024–25 UEFA Europa League league phase match in Budapest.[22] The match ended with a 2–1 defeat for Ferencváros.[23]
On 7 November 2024, he scored twice in a 2024–25 UEFA Europa League league phase match against FC Dynamo Kyiv.[24] After the match, he was included in the 4th match day of the Europa League.[25] He scored twice again in the next round of the league phase against the Swedish Malmö FF, bringing his goal tally to five goals in the first five games of the EL season.[26]
Varga won the 2024–25 Nemzeti Bajnokság I season with Ferencváros after beating Győr 2–1 at the ETO Park on the last match day on 24 May 2025.[27]
2025–26 season
On 12 August 2025, he scored two goals in a 3–0 victory over PFC Ludogorets Razgrad at the Groupama Aréna in the third round of the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League qualifying.[28][29][30]
On 2 October 2025, he scored his first goal in the UEFA Europa League season in a 1–0 victory over KRC Genk at the Cegeka Arena, Genk, Belgium.[31] Although he missed a penalty, he scored a goal in a 3–2 victory over Red Bull Salzburg in the same competition on 23 October.[32]
AEK Athens
On 6 January 2026, he was signed by AEK Athens.[33][34] He scored his first goal a 1–1 draw against Olympiacos in the 2025–26 Super League Greece season.[35][36][37] He scored his first double in a 4–0 victory over Panserraikos at the Serres Municipal Stadium, in Serres, Macedonia, on 7 February 2026.[38][39]
International career
On 27 March 2023, Varga made his first appearance as a substitute for the Hungary national team in an UEFA Euro qualifying match against Bulgaria.[40] Three games later, he scored his first goal in the third qualifying group stage match against Lithuania.[41]
On 7 September 2023, Varga scored the first Hungarian goal in a 2–1 victory against Serbia in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match at the Stadion Rajko Mitic in Belgrade, Serbia.[42]
On 14 October 2023, Varga scored the first Hungarian goal in a 2–1 victory over Serbia at the Puskás Aréna in the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match.[43][44]
On 14 May 2024, Varga was named in Hungary's squad for UEFA Euro 2024.[45] On 8 June 2024, he scored two goals in a friendly tie against Israel at the Nagyerdei Stadion.[46][47][48] Prior to the Euro 2024, he was included along with Robert Andrich, Jasir Asani, Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Álex Grimaldo, and Maximilian Mittelstädt by The Guardian among the six "late bloomers" who could shine at the championship.[49] In the team's first match of the tournament, Varga scored Hungary's only goal as they were beaten 3–1 by Switzerland in Cologne.[50]
On 23 June 2024, during the Euro 2024 group match against Scotland, Varga was rendered unconscious and landed in a fencing response,[51] following a free kick and clash with Scotland's goalkeeper Angus Gunn. After a 10 minute wait he was stretchered off the pitch. After the match, it was reported Varga was in a conscious and stable condition.[52]
On 6 September 2025, he scored a goal in a 2–2 draw against Ireland in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.[53] Three days later, he scored two goals in a 3–2 defeat from Portugal at the Puskás Aréna.[54] Despite his two goals, he also received a yellow card that meant he could not play against Armenia.
Personal life
In an article, published on Nemzeti Sport, Gábor Thury said that Varga is a player who reached his peak at the end of his career.[55] Varga was about to give up his career in his early 20s, when he received an offer from SV Mattersburg.
Varga resides in a small village, Szentpéterfa, located close to the Austrian border. In an interview published on Nemzeti Sport, he said that when he retires he wants to spend his life there.[56]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 17 May 2026[57]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lafnitz | 2016–17 | Austrian Bundesliga | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 11 | 1 | |
| 2017–18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19 | Austrian 2. Liga | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | 14 | 4 | ||
| 2019–20 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 1 | – | 16 | 8 | |||
| Total | 45 | 12 | 1 | 1 | – | 46 | 13 | |||
| Gyirmót | 2019–20 | Nemzeti Bajnokság II | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 | 1 | |
| 2020–21 | 24 | 12 | 1 | 3 | – | 25 | 15 | |||
| 2021–22 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 29 | 13 | 1 | 0 | – | 30 | 13 | ||
| Total | 58 | 26 | 2 | 3 | – | 60 | 29 | |||
| Paks | 2022–23 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 31 | 26 | 2 | 3 | – | 33 | 29 | |
| Ferencváros | 2023–24 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 24 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 13[b] | 9 | 40 | 29 |
| 2024–25 | 29 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 10[c] | 7 | 44 | 21 | ||
| 2025–26 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 12[d] | 10 | 29 | 20 | ||
| Total | 70 | 42 | 8 | 2 | 35 | 26 | 113 | 70 | ||
| AEK Athens | 2025–26 | Super League Greece | 17 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3[e] | 1 | 21 | 6 |
| Career total | 221 | 111 | 14 | 9 | 38 | 27 | 273 | 147 | ||
- Includes Austrian Cup, Magyar Kupa, Greek Football Cup
- Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, eleven appearances and nine goals in UEFA Europa Conference League
- Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- Six appearances and six goals in UEFA Champions League, six appearances and four goals in UEFA Europa League
- Appearances in UEFA Conference League
International
- As of match played 9 June 2026[58]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary | 2023 | 7 | 4 |
| 2024 | 13 | 3 | |
| 2025 | 8 | 6 | |
| 2026 | 2 | 2 | |
| Total | 30 | 15 | |
- Scores and results list Hungary's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Varga goal.[58]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 June 2023 | Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary |  Lithuania | 1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 2 | 7 September 2023 | Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia |  Serbia | 1–1 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 3 | 14 October 2023 | Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary | Serbia | 1–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 4 | 17 October 2023 | Darius and Girėnas Stadium, Kaunas, Lithuania | Lithuania | 2–2 | 2–2 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 5 | 8 June 2024 | Nagyerdei Stadion, Debrecen, Hungary |  Israel | 2–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 6 | 3–0 | |||||
| 7 | 15 June 2024 | RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany |  Switzerland | 1–2 | 1–3 | UEFA Euro 2024 |
| 8 | 10 June 2025 | Dalga Arena, Baku, Azerbaijan |  Azerbaijan | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 9 | 6 September 2025 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland |  Republic of Ireland | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 9 September 2025 | Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary |  Portugal | 1–0 | 2–3 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 2–2 | |||||
| 12 | 13 November 2025 | Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia |  Armenia | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 13 | 16 November 2025 | Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary | Republic of Ireland | 2–1 | 2–3 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 14 | 5 June 2026 | Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary |  Finland | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 15 | 2–0 |
Honours
Ferencvárosi TC
AEK Athens
Individual
- Nemzeti Bajnokság I top goalscorer: 2022–23[59] 2023–24[60]
- Nemzeti Bajnokság I Player of the Month: September 2023[61]
