Dominik Szoboszlai was devastated as a late Ireland comeback ended Hungary’s World Cup play-off push in dramatic fashion.
He was stood motionless on the churned-up grass of the Puskás Aréna, his shirt drenched, his stare fixed on nothing in particular.
Around him, teammates sank to their haunches in silence, processing the brutal reality that had unfolded in the most excruciating fashion.
Ten minutes from safety, ten minutes from a World Cup play-off berth they had spent two years building towards gone, ripped from their grasp by a Republic of Ireland side who simply refused to accept the script.
Even by Hungary’s long history of footballing heartbreak, this felt particularly cruel.
Troy Parrott, so often an enigma for his country, delivered the game of his life. A blistering, ruthless hat-trick the final strike arriving deep into the sixth minute of stoppage time turned a Hungarian triumph into a nightmare.
Ireland’s 3-2 win not only stunned Budapest but reshaped the group entirely, sending Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side into March’s play-offs at Hungary’s expense.
For Szoboszlai, the talisman who has become accustomed to carrying his nation on his shoulders, this was a night that will linger.
Marco Rossi’s side, as they had in Dublin earlier in the campaign, roared out of the blocks. The Puskás Aréna was still filling when Daniel Lukács rose to glance home after barely three minutes, triggering the first eruption of the night. Hungary looked energised, decisive, everything they needed to be on an evening where only victory guaranteed their safety.
Portugal’s ruthless dismantling of Armenia a 9-1 demolition unfolding simultaneously meant the margins were razor-thin. Hungary knew the stakes. They had lived them for months.
But Ireland, under Hallgrímsson, have developed a stubborn identity of their own. Parrott levelled from the spot after 14 minutes, only for Barnabás Varga to restore Hungary’s lead with a thunderous first-half hit. At 2-1, Budapest believed. At 2-1, Hungary were heading for the play-off and then came the unraveling.
Across the night, Szoboszlai and Liverpool teammate Milos Kerkez had done almost everything that could be asked of them. Both registered assists, both played with a level of urgency that reflected the enormity of the moment.
With 12 minutes remaining, Parrott levelled again a cool, clinical finish that ignited Irish belief. From that moment, tension seeped into Hungarian legs. The stadium, so loud for so long, began to tighten. Passes slowed. Nerves frayed.
Still, Szoboszlai nearly dragged his country over the line. His late strike, arrowing towards the bottom corner, was met by a superb save from Caoimhín Kelleher a moment that felt decisive in real time, and devastating in retrospect.
At the other end, Dénes Dibusz kept Hungary alive with a sprawling stop from Johnny Kenny in stoppage time. But the reprieve was fleeting.
Then came the dagger. Liam Scales rose to flick on a hopeful ball, and Parrott timing his run perfectly burst through the exhausted Hungarian line.
One touch. One stab beyond Dibusz. One moment that crushed a nation.
Ireland’s bench poured onto the pitch; Hungary’s players collapsed under the weight of what they had just lost.
For Szoboszlai, Kerkez and a squad that had dared to believe this was their moment, the pain was immediate and overwhelming. Hungary have not graced a World Cup since 1986. This felt like their best chance in a generation.
Instead, it is Ireland resilient, relentless and inspired by Parrott’s finest hour who march on to March’s play-off.
Hungary were ten minutes away. Ten minutes from a shot at football’s biggest stage.
But football can be cruel. And on this night, in this stadium, cruelty arrived wearing green.
