The Hungarian national football team suffered a bitter 2-3 defeat against Ireland in the World Cup qualifier at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest on Sunday evening. A goal conceded in the 96th minute sealed the fate of the home team, who ended up in third place in Group F and failed to qualify for the World Cup for the tenth time in a row.
The match was eventful from the start. The Hungarians took the lead in the fourth minute with a header from Dániel Lukács. After Troy Parrott equalized with a penalty kick, Barnabás Varga scored the 2-1 for the home team in the 37th minute.
It may be small consolation for Hungarians, but Barnabás Varga’s goal was named the best by the UEFA after Sunday’s World Cup qualifiers.
Varga on the turn ️#EQGOTT | @AlipayPlus pic.twitter.com/ueFaaeHSeM
— UEFA EURO (@UEFAEURO) November 16, 2025
Despite Hungary playing more dangerously in the second half, Troy Parrott struck again in the 80th minute to equalize. In the dramatic 96th minute of stoppage time, the Irishman finally scored his third goal of the evening. This goal secured Ireland second place in the group and a place in the playoffs.
Troy Parrott was later described by Hungarian team’s coach Marco Rossi as a “great master of such stolen goals.”
The disappointment after the final whistle was immense. Sándor Csányi, president of the Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ), was deeply affected and had tears in his eyes.
I had high hopes that we would at least reach the playoffs. We might have deserved it. In the end, we lacked concentration,”
he said dejectedly.
Head coach Marco Rossi was also at a loss for words. The visibly shaken Italian coach, who also has Hungarian citizenship, was struggling to come to terms with the late defeat, that had already happened in Dublin against Ireland:
“This is a huge disappointment, I cannot find the words. It is a real shame. We did not deserve to lose this game.
We conceded a goal in extra time again, just like in Ireland.”
He explained that he had urged his players at half-time to push for a third goal to secure the lead. Although they created many chances, the team failed to convert them. Marco Rossi emphasized that it was difficult to judge whether the repeated failure in the final stages – three times in six games, twice in extra time – was due to psychological, mental, or physical causes. “The Hungarian team is good, but not phenomenal,” he noted.
Marco Rossi ruled out a collapse of the team despite the dramatic elimination. He announced that he would clarify the future direction with the Federation’s leadership, but emphasized that
if we have to start over, we will start over. That is our job.”
Iceland’s coach of the Irish, Heimir Hallgrímsson, admitted that the Hungarians had probably played better, especially in the first half. At the same time, he praised his own team’s unyielding belief and emphasized that the risk of playing with three strikers had paid off in the end. Heimir Hallgrímsson explicitly singled out hat-trick hero Troy Parrott. He noted that Hungary had played for time at the end, to their own detriment.
The Hungarian national team finished third in their qualifying group, ruling them out of next year’s World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Next up are friendly matches in March.
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Illyés Tibor
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