Juan Hohberg 1954 World Cup: The 11 Minutes That Stunned the World

The story of Juan Hohberg 1954 World Cup moment is one of the most dramatic and emotional episodes in football history. Hohberg, a legendary Uruguayan striker, not only scored two crucial goals against Hungary in the 1954 World Cup semifinal, but also experienced a life-threatening collapse on the pitch—only to return minutes later and keep playing.

Who Was Juan Hohberg?

Juan Hohberg was born in 1926 in Argentina to German immigrant parents. He began his football journey at Rosario Central, the same year Alfredo Di Stéfano was born. When Argentina plunged into economic crisis, Hohberg moved to Uruguay and joined Club Peñarol. Though expectations were low initially, he quickly proved himself and became one of the club’s greatest scorers.

The Missed 1950 World Cup

Hohberg’s career was nearly marked by a major achievement in 1950, but due to an untimely injury, he missed out on becoming a world champion with Uruguay.

Juan Hohberg at the 1954 World Cup

Fast forward to the 1954 World Cup, Hohberg was part of the national team again. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury during training and missed the group stage matches. Even in the quarterfinal against England, the coach didn’t risk playing him. But when Uruguay lost striker Míguez, the team had no choice but to start Hohberg in the semifinal against the mighty Hungary.

The 11 Minutes That Made History

Hungary led 2–0 by the 75th minute. Then came the legendary Juan Hohberg 1954 World Cup moment. Hohberg scored in the 75th minute to close the gap, then again in the 86th minute to equalize—2:2. In a span of 11 minutes, he turned the game around.

But the emotional outburst took a toll. In the celebration, Hohberg fainted. His teammates, unaware, crowded him in joy. The assistant referee noticed something was wrong and signaled for help.

15 Seconds Without a Heartbeat

Uruguayan team doctor Carlos Abate rushed in and found Hohberg not breathing. For 15 seconds, his heart had stopped. Abate performed chest massage and administered Coramine, later calling it the longest 15 seconds of his life.

Miraculously, Hohberg recovered. After a few minutes of rest, he returned to the field and continued playing in extra time. Back then, substitutions were not allowed, and Uruguay needed all hands on deck.

(Note: Some sources claim he did not return, but the most reliable ones confirm he did.)

Final Result and Legacy

Despite Hohberg’s heroic efforts, Hungary eventually won the match 4–2, with Sándor Kocsis scoring twice in extra time. Yet the Juan Hohberg 1954 World Cup performance remains etched in football history.

Years later, in 1970, Hohberg would go on to coach the Uruguayan national team, leading them to the World Cup semifinal once again—this time falling to Brazil.