The Hungarian national football team caused a sensation in the World Cup qualifying roundup on Tuesday, thwarting Group F favorites Portugal’s early hopes of qualification with a hard-fought 2-2 draw in Lisbon. After taking an early lead and falling behind due to a brace from Cristiano Ronaldo, captain Dominik Szoboszlai saved Hungary from defeat in stoppage time.
Marco Rossi’s side made a brave start and were rewarded in the 8th minute, when Attila Szalai headed in from a corner to give them a 1-0 lead.
This goal ended Hungary’s nearly seven-decade-long scoring drought on Portuguese soil.
Attila Szalai (L) scoring with a header. Photo: MTI/Szigetváry Zsolt
However, the joy did not last long. Cristiano Ronaldo equalized in the 22nd minute, then turned the game around shortly before halftime (45+3) with his second goal. It was a historic evening for the 40-year-old Ronaldo. With 41 goals in World Cup qualifying matches, he is now the sole world record holder.
In the second half, both teams traded chances in an open and intense contest, with the woodwork denying goals on both ends. But it was Hungary who had the final say — in the 91st minute, Dominik Szoboszlai struck to make it 2-2, earning a crucial point for the visitors.
“I was so tired that I could not go to the near post anymore. I was just hoping the ball would go to the far post,” said Hungary’s captain in an interview with M4 Sport. “When you fight for it, luck is on your side,” he added.
Head coach Marco Rossi was pleased with his team’s performance after the match. While the point does not fundamentally change the standings in Group F, the result remains highly significant.
This result does not change much in the table, but of course it has done our confidence and our belief in each other a lot of good,”
he explained.
Marco Rossi particularly highlighted the team’s great start and finish. “We gave it our all, but as I always say, you also need luck to get points against a team like this. We hit the post once, but they hit it twice,” he recalled. The coach emphasized that the outcome of the qualifiers will only be decided in the games in November.
The coach believed his team had grown stronger since the September meeting and spoke of discovering new “weapons” — players who had performed unexpectedly well at the international level.
The Hungarian national team had not scored a goal in Portugal for 69 years, but that negative streak came to an end on Tuesday. Despite the draw, Hungary has not been able to improve its record against Portugal. It was the fifth draw in 11 defeats, and a victory against the southern Europeans is still pending.
Nevertheless, the point secures Hungary second place in the table and a razor-thin lead in the race for playoff participation, now ahead of Ireland.
The playoff spot will be decided in the final games in November against Armenia (away) and Ireland (home). In Group F, theoretically no team has yet secured a World Cup ticket or given up on participation, which makes for an exciting final phase. The Hungarian team will next travel to Armenia on November 13.
Via MTI, M4Sport; Featured image: MTI/Szigetváry Zsolt
The post Ronaldo’s Record-Breaking Double Not Enough Against Hungary in World Cup Qualifier appeared first on Hungary Today.
