About NB1
NB1 History, Format, Organization, Media Coverage
The Nemzeti Bajnokság, or the NB I as it is also known, is the highest-level professional football league in Hungary. Founded in 1901, this competition is organized by the Hungarian Football Federation and only became professional 25 years after its inception.
Twelve teams participate in the Nemzeti Bajnokság. Unlike other top-flight European leagues, NB I does not follow a double round-robin format. Instead, teams face each other three times per season — once at home, once away, while the third match is held at the stadium where the previous encounter was not played at.
Additionally, the league operates on a promotion/relegation system. The two worst performers after every season get demoted to the NB II, Hungary’s second division, and are replaced by the NB II champions and runners-up. Meanwhile, the Nemzeti Bajnokság champions get a ticket to the UEFA Champions League qualifying round while the runners-up and third-placed team enter the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying rounds.
The Magyar Kupa champions are also awarded a UEFA Europa Conference League berth but if the Hungarian Cup is won by a team that has qualified for Europe through the league, then this spot is awarded to the highest-placed Nemzeti Bajnokság club that has not qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League.
One of the most iconic players in the history of the beautiful game, Ferenc Puskás, first rose to prominence in the Hungarian top flight. The Real Madrid icon played for Budepest-based outfit Honvéd for 12 years, scoring a whopping 360 goals in 352 matches, thus averaging 1.02 goals per game.
