The striker of the South Korean club Ulsan Hyundai and the Hungarian national team, Martin Adam, became a social media hero after coming onto the field at EURO 2024, occupying the top spot for several days on Transfermarkt's popularity profile.
Martin Adam came on in the 79th minute of the Hungary - Switzerland match (1-3) and made a lasting impression on all football fans.
Since this giant had not played in top leagues and major tournaments with the national team, few people knew about him.
Adam is often called the "Hungarian Viking" because of his impressive appearance. With a thickset frame and long ginger beard, he looks more like a lumberjack than a footballer. But that's just part of his charm. Fans and commentators are often taken aback when they see him on the field, and even more so when they watch him play. Though he may seem a bit clumsy, he possesses a soft touch and a great weight of pass, which he particularly demonstrated in Hungary’s famous 4-0 win over England in 2022, making two assists in 20 minutes.
In total, Adam Martin has played 23 matches for the Hungarian national team, scored 3 goals, and made 3 assists.
Adam debuted for the national team only at the age of 27, in March 2022. He began to be called up to the team after the retirement of striker Adam Szalai, who had been the leader and main forward of the team for many years. After Szalai's departure, Adam Martin was considered the primary attacking choice for the Hungarian national team for a while, but the breakout season of Barnabás Varga for Ferencváros changed the situation, and now Varga is the main attacking choice for the national team.
Martin's breakthrough season came in 2021/22 with the Hungarian club Paks, when he scored 31 goals in 32 matches, after which he was bought by the South Korean club Ulsan Hyundai for 1.2 million euros. In the Korean club, the forward scored 24 goals in 67 games.