Hungary’s opening game at Euro 2024 is one that their fans would likely rather forget after they slipped to a 3-1 defeat against Switzerland.
They were largely outplayed by their opponents, and produced few moments of quality for their supporters to cheer. But one incident from the game will live long in the memory.
It came in the 79th minute, when striker Martin Adam was summoned from the substitutes’ bench.
As he made his way to the touchline to enter the pitch, viewers from across Europe sat up and took notice. For many watching the game, this would have been the first time they’d ever seen Adam, and it was quite a sight.
Standing at 6ft 3in tall and 13-and-a-half stone with a shaved head and a big ginger beard, Adam does not look like your ordinary striker. One fan even described him as ‘the most centre back looking striker I’ve ever seen’, while others simply labelled him an ‘absolute unit’.
Hungary striker Martin Adam went viral after coming on as a substitute against Switzerland
Fans described him as an ‘absolute unit’ but some went too far and fat-shamed him
Despite all the frenzy surrounding him, Adam lives quiet life in South Korea with his wife, Gritta (right), and their son, Konor (centre)
Adam has played in South Korea for Ulsan HD FC since 2022 after leaving his homeland
But some comments over-stepped the mark and amounted to fat-shaming, with one cruel jibe claiming he must be ‘hungry for goals’.
The 29-year-old addressed the comments after going viral on social media, insisting he has not done anything out of the ordinary to achieve his current shape.
‘Of course one or two [comments and memes] get back to me. Usually I have a good laugh,’ he said.
‘I was born like this. This is my body shape.
‘I can’t say I was this size when I was born, I can’t change that, I can’t change genetics. So yeah, that’s all I can say about it.’
If Adam was hurt by any comments, he didn’t show it as he delivered a measured response to the frenzy surrounding his appearance.
But what do we actually know about the Hungarian forward?
Having spent most of his career in his homeland, Adam now plays his football in South Korea after joining Ulsan HD FC in 2022.
He secured his move to Asia after enjoying a prolific 2021-22 season at Hungarian side Paksi, where he scored 31 times in 32 appearances to finish as the league’s top goalscorer.
During that campaign, he made his Hungary debut, and his third cap came against England as he was brought on as a late substitute to see out a 1-0 win for his side.
Adam (left) played against England twice in 2022, and was on the winning side both times
He came off the bench when Hungary famously beat England 4-0 at Molineux
Since moving to Korea, he has not been as prolific as he was in Hungary, but has still had success
He appeared off the bench again later that year to play against the Three Lions, with his team winning 4-0 at Molineux.
Perhaps England fans should have noticed him sooner, although there were far bigger issues to worry about that night.
Just weeks later, he completed his move to South Korea, where he now lives with his wife, Gritta, and their son, Konor.
Adam and Gritta met at primary school and the childhood sweethearts have remained together ever since.
The couple are now happily married and living a quiet life in Korea, with Adam showing that he is a family man by posting regular photos of himself with his wife and son on Instagram.
The Adam family also like travelling back to Europe, returning to Hungary frequently, while they also enjoyed a trip to snowy Poland over the winter during a break in the Korean football schedule.
On the pitch, Adam has not been as clinical in front of goal for Ulsan as he was for Paksi, netting 24 goals in 67 appearances.
But he has still won two league titles with the club, and celebrated with his family on the pitch after the first, captioning a picture on Instagram ‘the proudest Hungarians in Ulsan’.
In his two years at Ulsan, he has won the title twice, and celebrated the first on the pitch with his family. He captioned this picture on Instagram ‘the proudest Hungarians in Ulsan’
Adam’s son has been on multiple occasions to watch his dad play for Ulsan
Adam has brought Konor onto the pitch after games in Korea
Adam is a family man, and visited snowy Poland with his wife and son over the winter
His son has to gone to watch his dad on multiple occasions in Korea alongside Gritta, with the family seemingly settling into their new surroundings with minimal fuss.
Adam’s exploits in Korea proved enough to keep him in the national team, and he received his first call-up to a major tournament last month.
The opening game did not go to plan for him and his team-mates, and they were then beaten 2-0 by hosts Germany on Wednesday, leaving them facing an uphill task to make the round of 16.
But they still have time to put things right in their final group game against Scotland.
Adam will hope that by the end of the Euros, he has given fans something else to remember him by other than his unique appearance.
