Hungary vs Ireland – World Cup qualifier preview and team news | OneFootball

Hungary and the Republic of Ireland face each other in a decisive FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier on Sunday afternoon in Budapest.

The winner of this encounter will book themselves a place in the play-offs, while top spot in Group F is still up for grabs if Portugal fail to beat Armenia.

Hungary vs Ireland – World Cup qualifier preview and team news

Hungary team news

Hungary head coach Marco Rossi has a near fully-fit squad available for this crucial encounter. The Magyars come into the game on the back of a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Armenia, with Barnabás Varga scoring the winning goal.

Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai will captain the side and has been in excellent form, providing the assist for Varga’s winner against Armenia. The 25-year-old has established himself as Hungary’s talisman since taking over the armband.

Varga, who plays for Ferencváros, has been prolific for the national team with four goals in four matches during this qualification campaign. The 31-year-old striker, who underwent surgery on a serious facial injury he suffered at Euro 2024, will lead the line.

West Bromwich Albion’s Callum Styles is expected to start in midfield alongside András Schäfer, while experienced defender Willi Orbán will marshal the defence. Milos Kerkez, who plays at left-back, praised the team’s unity ahead of the match.

The only injury issues in the team concerns Balázs Tóth, who is unavailable.

Read – Cristiano Ronaldo strop enters the annals of Irish football history

Ireland team news

Ryan Manning returns from suspension after picking up his second yellow card in the previous qualifier against Armenia in October. As reported ahead of the Portugal match, Robbie Brady and Callum O’Dowda remain sidelined through injury, while Josh Honohan has been struggling with groin problems. Mark Sykes is also unavailable.

Ireland skipper Nathan Collins will captain the side again after leading the Boys In Green to a famous victory over Portugal, winning 100 per cent of his aerial duels and not being dribbled past once.

AZ Alkmaar striker Parrott comes into the game in sensational form, having scored 13 goals in 14 appearances for his club this season before picking up a knee injury in August. The 23-year-old’s brace against Portugal demonstrated his importance to Ireland’s attacking threat and is set to lead the line again in this crucial fixture.

Another player who will surely start and is expected to continue his good performance is Everton’s Jake O’Brien, who put in an outstanding display at right centre-back against Portugal, receiving a 9/10 rating from The42, who stated he “looked like he’d been playing there for years”. The versatile defender will be crucial to Ireland’s defensive structure once again.

Form

Hungary

Marco Rossi’s side have been unbeaten in their last three matches, showing resilience when it mattered most. Hungary defeated Armenia 1-0 away on Thursday, though they were made to hang on to secure three important points.

The Magyars currently sit second in Group F with eight points from five matches, boasting a record of two wins, two draws, and one defeat. Hungary have not qualified for a World Cup since 1986, making this campaign particularly significant for the football-mad nation.

Ireland

Ireland’s form has been transformed in recent weeks, culminating in Thursday’s historic 2-0 victory over Portugal. Heimir Halgrimsson’s side had looked down and out after losing to Armenia earlier in the campaign, but have now won their last two fixtures against Armenia and Portugal to move onto seven points from five matches.

Read – Martinez defends Ronaldo after red card against Ireland

Predicted lineups

Hungary: Dibusz; Nego, Orban, Szalai, Kerkez; Schafer, Styles, Szoboszlai; Bolla, Varga, Sallai

Ireland: Kelleher; Coleman, Collins, O’Shea, O’Brien, Scales; Azaz, Taylor, Cullen; Ogbene, Parrott

How to watch Hungary vs Ireland?

UK and Irish fans can watch the game live on RTÉ 2, with coverage also available on the RTÉ Player streaming service.

Read – Manchester United winger to miss World Cup as Cameroon crash out of qualifiers

See Also – Tuchel keen to build England side without ego

Follow the Football Faithful on Social Media:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube