The UEFA World Cup Qualifiers are a tough, fierce competition. Hence, teams will come to the wire to see if their 2026 World Cup dreams are alive. For Hungary, they needed to beat Ireland, but also needed other results to happen to qualify directly.
Hungary didnāt do their part, as they suffered a late, 2-3 loss to Ireland. Meanwhile, Portugal beat Armenia comfortably. This means Hungary ended in third place of Group F. Portugal ended as leaders with 13 points, followed by Ireland with 10 (securing a spot in the playoffs for a World Cup berth), Hungary with eight points, and Armenia in last place with only three points.
The dream is over. Hungary did not do enough to even qualify to the UEFA World Cup Qualifiers Playoffs. This is a second round contested between 16 teams but only four will end up qualifying.
Hungary lost to Ireland quite unfairly
Even if the final score doesnāt show it, Hungary were clearly the superior side in the Puskas Arena. The 2-3 score doesnāt do justice, as Hungary dominated Ireland in shots, shots on target, ball possession, corners, and pretty much every offensive statistic there is. However, the Irish had more power of will in the latter minutes to get an incredible comeback with goals at the 80th and 96th minute.
Barnabas Varga of Hungary
The team knew it needed to win and it went out there to make sure that if Portugal slipped, it wouldāve done what was needed. Still, it wasnāt enough as Irelandās Troy Parrott scored a hat trick to get Ireland the win. Now, Hungary said goodbye to the 2026 World Cup.
see also
Will Cristiano Ronaldo play in the 2026 World Cup? Portugal secure qualification without CR7 vs Armenia
Hungary had a very good squad to rely on
This is a very good squad. While itās not a juggernaut, nor is it star-studded, Hungary have a good collection of guys that make this a very well-rounded team. Still, the lack of focus in the dying minutes of the game cost them.
Dominik Szoboszlai is one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world right now. The Liverpool star is capable to not only cut passing lanes, but also create goalscoring oppportunities. He is the one guy capable of doing it all. However, the role players didnāt do much to help him in the second half of the game, and that ended Hungaryās 2026 World Cup dreams.
