The 2025/26 Merkantil Bank Liga season kicks off on the final weekend of July, while our team begins pre-season on 19 June, with five matches on the programme.
28.06.2025, 11:00 – Budapest Honvéd FC–Tiszakécskei LC, venue: Honvéd Akadémia (behind closed doors)
We begin our pre-season period against Tiszakécske, who have returned to the Merkantil Bank Liga. The Bács-Kiskun County side were relegated from the second tier two seasons ago, but this season – after their successes in 1992/93 and 2017/18 – they again finished first in NB III and, after a hard-fought tie, defeated Mosonmagyaróvár to earn second-tier status once more.
03.07.2025, 18:30 – Budapest Honvéd–Maccabi Haifa, venue: Honvéd Akadémia (behind closed doors)
Our second pre-season match will be against a club with extensive international experience, as Maccabi Haifa visit our academy. The Israeli side did not enjoy a particularly successful previous season: they were eliminated in the Conference League qualifiers and finished only third domestically. In the season before that, however, they competed in all three European club competitions (Champions League, Europa League and Conference League) and finished second in the 2023/24 domestic league after lifting the championship trophy three years in succession. Haifa have reached the Champions League group stage three times in their history (2002/03, 2009/10, 2022/23), and have also achieved notable results in Europe’s second- and third-tier club competitions.
05.07.2025, 11:00 – Kecskeméti TE–Budapest Honvéd FC, venue: Telki
In July we will again face a second-tier rival as part of the purple-and-whites’ training camp in Telki. Kecskemét were members of NB I for the past three seasons, finishing second after promotion, then sixth, before ending last season bottom of the table.
12.07.2025, 10:30 – KFC Komárno (Slovakia)–Budapest Honvéd FC, venue: Komáromszentpéter
Another purple-and-white club, but this time Tamás Feczkó’s team will have to travel across the border. Founded in 1900, the club – whose motto still appears on its crest today (Enthusiasm, Perseverance, Fight) – finished eighth in the Slovak top flight.
19.07.2025, 11:00 – Paksi FC–Budapest Honvéd FC, venue: Paks, Paksi FC Stadion
The green-and-whites prove year after year that they belong in NB I, and after their second-tier championship title they will begin their 20th consecutive season among the elite. They finished the past two campaigns on the podium (2nd, then 3rd) and won the Hungarian Cup in both seasons.
