By the time Scotland and Hungary face off at Euro 2024, both teams will know exactly what they need to do to make it out of Group A.
The two nations have been paired with Switzerland and tournament hosts Germany in a group in which the second guaranteed qualifying spot is very much up for grabs.
Hungary fans at Euro 2024 will be hoping for a repeat of Euro 2016 in France when they famously won their group on the back of a thrilling 3-3 draw with Portugal.
In terms of the Hungary fans themselves, what can the Tartan Army expect? Here is what you need to know.
How many Hungary fans at Euro 2024?
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Hungary have been given 10,000 tickets for every match they are involved in at Euro 2024 and all of these tickets have been purchased by local supporters who have followed the team during the qualifiers. Hungary have a very large and passionate fanbase so it is expected that thousands will travel without tickets.
Scotland fans will need to take extra care in the build-up to the match with Hungary as one of their largest fan groups, the ‘Carpathian Brigade' are notorious for stirring up trouble at football matches. Back in a game against England at Wembley in 2021, Hungary fans nearly caused a riot and were accused of racist chanting.
The far-right group's racist chanting in the reverse fixture against England in Budapest during that qualifying campaign resulted in Hungary having to play two matches behind closed doors and the Hungarian FA being fined.
In addition to racist chanting, the Carpathian Brigade are also known to be violent so Scotland fans will need to keep their wits about them when the two teams meet in Stuttgart on 23 June.
Scotland vs Hungary labelled ‘high risk' due to Hungary fans
Tournament organisers and the German police are well aware of the potential threat posed by Hungary fans at Euro 2024. Out of the five group games taking place in Stuttgart, two of them have been labelled ‘high risk' and both feature Hungary. These fixtures are Hungary vs Germany and Hungary vs Scotland.
Stuttgart Police head of operations at Euro 2024 Carsten Hofler said:
“Of the five matches in the city, two are high-risk. These are the matches between Germany and Hungary and Scotland and Hungary. We are particularly concerned about the serious hooligan scene in Hungary, which also exists in Germany. If they want to fight, we we will intervene in a robust manner,
“The Scots are considered peaceful, but also thirsty and alcohol can be a catalyst for violence in certain situations. Additionally, not only will Scotland and Hungary meet in Stuttgart on June 23, but the German team will also be playing against Switzerland in Frankfurt at the same time. So there will probably be three groups of fans in Stuttgart.
“At the high-risk games in Stuttgart, over 2,500 additional officers will be deployed in stages throughout the day. The main support will come from the police headquarters, but units from neighbouring headquarters and from across the country will also be called in.”
The positive side of Hungary fans
It goes without saying that not all Hungary fans share the far-right views of the Carpathian Brigade. Plenty of them just simply love football and enjoy going to watch their nation play. They are also very good at creating a fantastic atmosphere, as was demonstrated during Euro 2020 games played in Budapest.
The site of a packed Puskas Arena when Hungary faced France was a breath of fresh air after football had been played behind closed doors for so long due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If they can bring that level of passion to Euro 2024, then the match against Scotland could be one of the noisiest at the tournament.