Hungary player Barnabas Varga pictured for first time after getting injured in shocking collision at Euro 2024
Football fans were left in shock on Sunday (23 June) when a collision between multiple players during a match resulted in Hungarian striker Barnabas Varga being rushed to hospital - and he has now been pictured for the first time since the accident.
In a group stage match of the 2024 Euros, Varga's team were fighting the Tartan Army for a spot in the last 16.
A dramatic goal scored by Kevin Csoboth in the 10th minute of stoppage time sealed the win for the Hungarian side, but the mood wasn't so celebratory.
During the 69th minute of play, the match was stopped for seven minutes following a sickening collision between Barnabas Varga and Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn.
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The blow left Varga motionless on the ground as his teammates formed a protective wall around him while he received medical attention.
He was later stretchered off the pitch and hospitalised - and it has since been confirmed that he'd suffered 'several' broken bones in his face as well as a concussion.
In an update released by the Hungarian Football Association, it was shared that the Ferencvaros player would likely undergo surgery for his injuries and that the 'whole team' was rooting for him.
In the shot shared by the Hungarian Football Association on X, Varga can be seen surrounded by manager Marco Rossi, player Endre Botka and a number of medical staff as he sits in his hospital bed, smiling and holding his thumb up.
A statement from the Hungary FA said: "Led by Marco Rossi, some members of the professional staff and Endre Botka, representing the players, visited Barnabás Varga in Klinikum Stuttgart. The visitors interpreted the wishes of the whole team for the player."
Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai has since spoken out about the incident, and appeared to criticise Euros staff for not reacting quick enough.
Speaking to Magenta TV following the match, he insisted that a delay in treatment could've led to severe consequences for his teammate.
"I was one of the first people there," he said, adding that Varga was struggling to 'get enough air.'
"I was shocked myself, I tried to put him on his side, which is actually the best thing you can do in situations like this." he continued to say.
"I have no idea what the protocol is, whether people are not allowed to run onto the pitch if we need help."
When asked if he thought medical staff in the stadium had reacted quick enough, he replied: "I don't think so.
"We have to do it faster, much faster. Everyone knows that seconds add up."
Bec Oakes