Ireland vs Hungary – Match preview and team news | OneFootball

Ireland and Hungary go head-to-head in a FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier in Dublin on Saturday evening.

Both sides will be searching for a positive start to their Group F campaign, in an intriguing group that also contains Portugal and Armenia.

Ireland vs Hungary – Match preview and team news

Ireland team news

Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson has named a 23-man squad for the games against Hungary and Armenia, although there are some notable absences. Captain Seamus Coleman has been left out after being an unused substitute in Everton’s opening three Premier League matches this season. The experienced defender has not featured since withdrawing from the June friendlies through injury.

Gavin Bazunu and Chiedozie Ogbene return to the squad after lengthy injury layoffs. Bazunu has recovered from knee surgery to reclaim his place at Southampton, while Ogbene is back for the first time since rupturing his Achilles tendon in October 2024.

Celtic defender Liam Scales is available to play after rolling his ankle against Rangers at the weekend, while Johnny Kenny has come in as attacking cover after Troy Parrott pulled out of the squad.

Nathan Collins will captain the side in Coleman’s absence, with Caoimhín Kelleher providing experience in goal after his move from Liverpool to Brentford. However, Robbie Brady, Callum O’Dowda and Festy Ebosele all miss out through injury.

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Hungary team news

Hungary manager Marco Rossi has named a larger-than-usual 27-man squad, including four potential debutants. The Italian coach has emphasised selecting players in good form, with Barna Tóth, Rajmund Molnár, Dániel Lukács and Bence Ötvös all earning their first call-ups.

Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai will captain the side, with the 24-year-old having been Hungary’s talisman since taking over the armband in November 2022. However, there are concerns over Hungary’s over-reliance on their skipper, with the team struggling when he is marked out of games.

Milos Kerkez, Willi Orbán and András Schäfer provide experience in the squad, while striker Barnabás Varga remains a key attacking threat. Rossi has stressed the importance of starting the campaign well against a physical Irish side.

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Form

Ireland: LWWDD

Hallgrímsson’s side have shown gradual improvement since replacing Stephen Kenny in the hot seat last year. They secured their League B status in the UEFA Nations League, defeating Bulgaria 4-2 on aggregate in a relegation playoff.

Their most recent friendlies both ended in stalemates against Senegal (1-1) and Luxembourg (0-0), highlighting their struggles in front of goal.

Hungary: DLLLW

Marco Rossi’s team endured a difficult Nations League campaign, finishing bottom of Group A3. They were relegated after losing 6-1 on aggregate to Turkey in the promotion/relegation playoffs. Recent friendlies brought mixed results, with a 2-1 win over Azerbaijan and a 0-2 defeat to Sweden.

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Predicted lineups

Possible Ireland starting XI: Kelleher; Doherty, O’Shea, Collins, Scales; Johnston, Knight, Cullen, Manning; Azaz, Ferguson.

Possible Hungary starting XI: Dibusz; Bolla, Orbán, Dárdai, Kerkez; Schäfer, Styles, Roth; Szoboszlai, Varga, Sallai.

How to watch Ireland vs Hungary?

The Republic of Ireland vs Hungary FIFA World Cup qualifier will be shown live in Ireland on RTÉ, while viewers in the UK can stream the match on Amazon Prime for £2.49.

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