By himself Kocsis was a remarkable goal machine, scoring 75 goals in 68 games for Hungary.
In combination with Ferenc Puskas and Nandor Hidegkuti, Kocsis helped make the "Magical Magyars" the most feared side in world soccer in the early 1950s.
Having won Olympic gold in 1952 and decimated England at Wembley in 1953, Hungary was a justifiably hot favorite for the 1954 finals in Switzerland.
Kocsis and his teammates were in explosive form and he scored a hat trick in a 9-0 opening win over South Korea and then four in a memorable 8-3 demolition of West Germany, and two more in the 4-2 second round win over Brazil.
The semifinal against defending champion Uruguay was a classic drama in which Kocsis was cast as the hero. Hungary had seen a two-goal lead cancelled out by Uruguay's late equalizer, but Kocsis scored twice in extra time to earn his side a 4-2 win.
But in the final the Magyar magic ran out. Hungary raced into a two-goal lead against West Germany, briefly threatening a repeat of its eight-goal performance in the first round. But the West Germans fought back to earn a 3-2 win against the tiring Hungarians.
Kocsis couldn't add to his 11 goals for the tournament but finished as top scorer by some distance.
Sadly it was to be his one appearance at the World Cup. The 1956 uprising occurred while his Honved side was on a Spanish tour and Kocsis was among the group of players who chose not to return home, eventually settling in Spain with Barcelona.
