History

Construction of the Pancho Arena began in 2012 and was completed in 2014. Originally designed by architect Imre Makovecz, the project was taken over by Tamás Dobrosi after Makovecz’s passing.

The stadium is located in Felcsút, the hometown of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, near his vacation home. Although the project was funded by private companies, many had ties to the government, sparking criticism from the opposition due to the decision to build a stadium with twice the village’s population capacity.

The Pancho Arena’s inaugural match took place on April 21, 2014, hosting the final of the seventh Puskás Cup, where Real Madrid defeated Puskás Akadémia FC 1-0. The stadium saw its first league match a few days later, on April 26, 2014, when Puskás Akadémia FC lost 1-3 to Videoton FC.

In July 2014, the venue hosted several matches during the UEFA European Under-19 Championship.

What or Who is Pancho?

The stadium’s name refers to the nickname “Pancho,” given to Ferenc Puskás during his time at Real Madrid. “Pancho” is a diminutive of “Francisco,” the Spanish version of his first name.