Budapest
In Budapest the small-sided game is called kispályás foci, or terem foci when it moves into a hall, and it is played on both banks of the Danube nearly every evening of the week. For 2027 the MCC Major Champions Cup sets a 5-a-side tournament into that routine, with three Budapest grounds, a Pitch Round between 9 April and 9 May and a Pitch Champion at each.
Three grounds, three champions
Two halves of 15 minutes on a stop clock. Every team plays three group matches in a group of four, and the top two go into the playoffs, where a tie level after two halves goes to penalties. Five weeks of football on each ground leave Budapest with three Pitch Champions, and each goes straight to the Country Championship.
North Buda
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
East Pest
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
South-Budapest
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
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Kispályás foci across Buda and Pest
Hungary has a long habit of football at every size. Courtyard games, school halls, company leagues and artificial pitches in the outer districts all feed a large amateur scene, and many Budapest players know the format by heart: five on a side, a small goal, a short match. The MCC rules of two 15-minute halves, a stop clock and squads of up to nine sit comfortably inside that tradition.
The city's clubs shape the culture too. Ferencváros, Honvéd, MTK and Újpest each have a district they call home, and a rivalry between districts can be as strong among amateur teams as among the pros, which gives group matches between neighbouring districts an edge.
Where the North Buda, East Pest and South-Budapest grounds fall
North Buda covers the Buda bank from Óbuda and the Római part down toward the hills of the second and twelfth districts. East Pest draws on Zugló, Kőbánya, Újpest and the districts running out toward Rákosmente. South-Budapest takes in Ferencváros, Kispest, Csepel and Soroksár, where much of the city's pitch space is.
Public transport is dense. Four metro lines, the tram ring, the suburban HÉV and night buses reach every one of these areas, and a team usually finds its ground within one change from home. Each ground ends up with a single venue chosen through the MCC pitch owner programme, and its name appears on this page once the agreement has been signed.
Budapest in spring, and the Hungarian road to the World Final
April in Budapest is mild and bright but unsettled, with temperatures often between 8 and 18 degrees, and by May the evenings are warm enough for outdoor football in short sleeves. The group stage fills three Friday-to-Sunday blocks starting 9, 16 and 23 April, then the knockout rounds begin on 30 April and each ground names its champion on 9 May.
Hungary's only host city is Budapest, which sends all three Pitch Champions to the Country Championship, 28 to 30 May 2027, with no stage before it. The national winner enters the continental stage, and the World Final is on 7 July 2027.
Why a Budapest team might choose MCC
MCC runs as a full spring season with a published format: groups of four, penalties for any level playoff tie and $20,000 to every Pitch Champion. Only amateur teams enter, each naming a Team President, and zero tolerance for misconduct can cost a team its licence with no refund.
The road out of Budapest
- 01 · 9 Apr - 9 May 2027
Pitch Round
Groups of four on every pitch, three group matches each. The top two of every group go into the playoffs, and penalties settle a level playoff tie.
$20,000 - 02 · 28-30 May 2027
Country Championship
The Pitch Champions of each country play for the national title: two halves of 15 minutes, a league table, then the playoffs.
$150,000 - 03 · 2027
Continental Championship
Country Champions compete within their region for a place on the world stage.
$500,000 - 04 · 7 Jul 2027
World Championship
A five-team mini-league, then the World Final: two halves of 15 minutes, penalties if level. One MCC World Champion.
$5,000,000
Questions from Budapest
How does a team enter MCC in Budapest?
Register on this site and pick one of Budapest's three grounds: North Buda, East Pest, South-Budapest. One Team License per team: USD 1,200 for one year until 1 March 2027 (then 2,500), or 5,000 for three years. Payment and KYC verification follow the application.
When does the tournament start in Budapest?
The Pitch Round runs 9 April to 9 May 2027 on all three Budapest grounds. The group matches are played on 9-11, 16-18 and 23-25 April, the playoffs from 30 April, and each ground's final on 9 May. Pitch Champions go straight to the Country Championship on 28-30 May 2027.
How many teams can play in Budapest?
Up to 384: each of the three grounds takes up to 128 teams, and each needs a minimum of 64 to run its round. A full ground puts an entry on its waitlist instead of turning it away.
What can a Budapest team win?
$20,000 per Pitch Champion, $150,000 for the Hungary title, $500,000 continental and $5,000,000 for the World Champion - plus championship rings from Country level up.
Is MCC played indoors in Budapest like terem foci?
This page sets no surface rule beyond a small-sided pitch and a 40-minute slot. Each ground's venue is announced on the Budapest page once its agreement is signed, and the venue will show what the pitches are.
Do Buda teams have to play on the Pest side?
No. North Buda is its own ground with its own full round of 64 to 128 teams. A Buda team can enter there and never cross the river for a group match, and any team may choose the ground that suits its players best.
Can foreign players live in Budapest and join a team?
Entry is by team, not by nationality. A Team License covers a squad of up to nine amateurs and a named Team President, so a mixed squad from the city's expat and student communities can enter alongside Hungarian sides.
What does a Budapest Pitch Champion do in May?
Its next match is at the Country Championship, 28 to 30 May 2027. Hungary has no other host city, so the three Budapest champions compete for the national title and the place in the continental stage that goes with it.
Nearby in Europe
Claim a pitch in Budapest
One Team License per team, for one year or three years. Squads of up to 9 are built in the MCC app after licensing. Registration takes the team, its coach and its Team President.
- USD1,200One year
- 5,000Three years