What happened to the Hungarian player at Euro 2024? Latest updates after Barnabas Varga required urgent medical treatment following a collision in Scotland match

The Euro 2024 match between Scotland and Hungary on Sunday had to be interrupted for a long time because Barnabas Varga needed urgent medical attention on the field.

In the second half of a crucial Group A match in which only one team could progress to the knockout stages, Varga was injured after an apparent collision with Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn. Screens were put up on the pitch to shield him from view as his teammates looked on with great concern.

Up to that point, there had been few chances on the offensive, even though both teams needed a win to have any chance of qualifying for the next round. Understandably, both teams looked shaken after the incident.

Sporting News brings you all the latest updates on the injury to Hungarian striker Varga, who was stretchered off the field following the incident.

MORE: A complete overview of Euro 2024 results, schedule and fixtures

What happened to the Hungarian player at Euro 2024?

In the 70th minute of the group final between Hungary and Scotland, an aerial duel broke out when Hungarian striker Barnabas Varga headed the ball in the Scottish penalty area.

Goalkeeper Angus Gunn came out to challenge the aerial duel and it looked as if his ribs hit the side of Vargas’ head at full force.

There was immediate concern for both players, who were lying huddled on the field. Gunn, however, moved slightly as players and medical staff arrived to treat him. Varga, on the other hand, lay on his back in the typical “fencing reaction” of an unconscious person.

Teammates and paramedics rushed to Varga’s aid, laying him on his side as more helpers arrived. Concern was immediate, but the situation looked even worse when a beige sheet was raised to block fans and television cameras from seeing the scene.

As the situation developed, it became clearer that the injury was serious. As more medical staff ran onto the pitch, a Hungarian player could be seen rushing to get the stretcher and get it to his teammate more quickly. Hungary’s playmaker Dominik Szoboszlai could be seen holding back his tears. Eventually, the TV cameras stopped recording the scene completely, and when Varga was finally carried off the pitch on a stretcher, it was not shown. Both sets of fans applauded as he was carried off the pitch.

Speaking to the BBC afterwards, Gunn said: “It was a bit of a blur. I thought I had to come here and did well. Hopefully the guy is OK. I don’t even remember much.”

Latest updates on Barnabas Varga after injury against Scotland

At around 11:15 p.m. local time, the Hungarian national team posted on X that Vargas’ condition was “stable.” They confirmed that he had been taken to a hospital in Stuttgart.

Nemzeti Sport had previously stated, citing M4 Sport, that Varga was conscious and able to communicate when he was taken from the pitch to the hospital on a stretcher.

The updates were a relief, as there were no obvious signs of consciousness following Vargas’s exit from the field. Players occasionally give the thumbs up to signal to fans that they are OK, but the television broadcast failed to capture his exit from the field, suggesting things could be quite serious.

Sporting News will update this story as new news becomes available.

Varga incident brings back memories of Christian Eriksen’s collapse at Euro 2020

The urgency with which Varga was treated and the way the screens were set up to protect him from view were reminiscent of the incident at Euro 2020 when Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch.

The Danish midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest during a match against Finland and had to be resuscitated on the pitch before being taken to hospital. He later had a pacemaker fitted.

You can read about Eriksen’s incredible recovery and his goal-filled start to the 2024 European Championship here.