# Balázs Tóth (footballer, born 1997)

Balázs Tóth (born 4 September 1997) is a Hungarian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for EFL Championship club Blackburn Rovers.

## Club career
### Early career

Tóth first played under the youth setup at Kazincbarcikai SC, receiving a contract after scoring 11 goals in a school match in Zubogy. He was initially a striker, but switched to playing as a goalkeeper after standing in during a training session and impressing coach István Szabó.
At 12 years old, Tóth signed for Puskás Akadémia FC. In 2012, Tóth joined the Fehérvár FC under-17 team, before returning to Puskás Akadémia a year later.

### Puskás Akadémia

In the 2015–16 season, Tóth won the Hungarian U19 league. He was an unused substitute in two home games the 2016–17 season against Szolnoki MÁV FC and SZEOL SC, with Puskás Akadémia winning the Nemzeti Bajnokság II.

#### 2018–19: Loan to Aqvital FC Csákvár

In 2018, Tóth moved to Nemzeti Bajnokság II team Aqvital FC Csákvár on loan. He made his competitive debut in a 3–3 home draw against Ceglédi VSE, Tóth kept his first clean sheet in a 0–0 home draw against Budafoki MTE. He would go on to make 25 league appearances over the course of the season as Ceglédi finished 11th.

#### Return to Puskás Akadémia

On 30 November 2019, Tóth signed a two and a half year contract. He made his Nemzeti Bajnokság I debut on 14 March 2020 against Mezőkövesdi SE, keeping a clean sheet after being substituted on in the 40th minute for an injured Lajos Hegedűs. Once the league resumed after it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tóth established himself as the first choice goalkeeper for the club.
During the 2020–21 season, Tóth played 30 league games and kept 12 clean sheets as Puskás Akadémia finished runners up in the league. Tóth received the "Save of the Month" award in September and February, along with the "Goalkeeper of the Season" award.
In July 2021, Tóth made his UEFA Conference League debut in a 1–1 away draw against FC Inter Turku in the First Qualifying Round. On 15 July 2021, Tóth suffered a shoulder injury in the 89th minute of the 1–0 away win against MTK Budapest FC. This injury would keep him out until his return on 5 March 2022, in a 2–1 away defeat to Újpest FC Tóth played 17 matches and kept 7 clean sheets during the 2021–22 season. On 1 April 2022, Tóth signed a new contract until 2026. In the 2022–23 season, Tóth kept three clean sheets in 20 league appearances.

### Fehérvár

On 9 August 2023, Tóth joined Fehérvár on loan with a permanent transfer option. He made his league debut against his former team in a 2–2 away draw. Tóth would go on to play 30 league games, keeping a clean sheet in 13 of them. On 31 May 2024, Fehérvár exercised their purchase option to sign him on a permanent basis. At the start of the 2024–25 season, Tóth started all four UEFA Conference League matches.

### Blackburn Rovers

On 30 August 2024, Tóth signed for EFL Championship club Blackburn Rovers on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee. He debuted in a 1–0 victory over Middlesbrough in the 2024–25 FA Cup on 11 January 2025.

## International career

Tóth's first international match was for Hungary U17 in a 2-1 home defeat to Montenegro U17 on 27 August 2013. He was called up again on 19 February 2014 to face Italy U17 in a 6-0 away defeat, in which he was substituted at half time. On 15 October 2015, Tóth started for Hungary U19 in a 5-1 away defeat against Slovakia U19 and was substituted at the half time interval. Tóth came on as a subsitute for Hungary U21 in a 3-3 away draw with Azerbaijan U21 on 8 June 2018.
Tóth received a call up from head coach Marco Rossi in March 2021 for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Poland, San Marino, and Andorra, however he was an unused substitute in all three matches. Due to his shoulder injury in July 2021, it would not be until November 2022 before Tóth was named in the national side again, and was an unnamed substitute for the friendly matches against Luxembourg and Greece.

## Personal life

Balázs Tóth's father was a Nemzeti Bajnokság II goalkeeper.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of matches played 21 January 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National Cup | National Cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Puskás Akadémia II | 2015–16 | Nemzeti Bajnokság III | 11 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 0 |
| Puskás Akadémia II | 2016–17 | Nemzeti Bajnokság III | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13 | 0 |
| Puskás Akadémia II | 2017–18 | Nemzeti Bajnokság III | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 0 |
| Puskás Akadémia II | 2019–20 | Nemzeti Bajnokság III | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 |
| Puskás Akadémia II | Total | Total | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 0 |
| Csákvár | 2018–19 | Nemzeti Bajnokság II | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 25 | 0 |
| Csákvár | Total | Total | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Puskás Akadémia | 2019–20 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 0 |
| Puskás Akadémia | 2020–21 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 0 |
| Puskás Akadémia | 2021–22 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 0 |
| Puskás Akadémia | 2022–23 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 0 |
| Puskás Akadémia | Total | Total | 76 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 0 |
| Fehérvár | 2023–24 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 30 | 0 |
| Fehérvár | 2024–25 | Nemzeti Bajnokság I | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| Fehérvár | Total | Total | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2024-25 | EFL Championship | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Blackburn Rovers | Total | Total | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 181 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 193 | 0 |
* ↑ Appearances in Magyar Kupa
* ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League

### International

Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National Team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Hungary U17 | 2013 | 1 | 0 |
| Hungary U17 | 2014 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 2 | 0 |
| Hungary U19 | 2015 | 1 | 0 |
| Hungary U19 | 2016 | 0 | 0 |
| Hungary U19 | 2017 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 1 | 0 |
| Hungary U21 | 2018 | 1 | 0 |
| Hungary U21 | 2019 | 0 | 0 |
| Hungary U21 | 2020 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 1 | 0 |
| Hungary | 2021 | 0 | 0 |
| Hungary | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Hungary | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Hungary | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 0 | 0 |

## Honours

Puskás Akadémia U19
* Hungarian U19 League: 2015–16
Puskás Akadémia
* Nemzeti Bajnokság I runner-up: 2020–21
Individual
* Nemzeti Bajnokság I Goalkeeper of the Season: 2020–21
* Nemzeti Bajnokság I Save of the Month: September 2020, February 2021