Who is playing, when and where?
The Republic of Ireland are playing Hungary in a Group F qualifier for the 2026 World Cup at 2pm on Sunday. The final group game for qualifying takes place at the Puskás Arena in Budapest.
How can I watch?
You can watch the match on RTÉ 2, with coverage starting at 1pm. You can also follow live updates on The Irish Times Sport live blog.
What is the state of play?
Ireland’s stunning 2-0 victory over Portugal has meant that the situation has been simplified. Ireland need to beat Hungary, by any score, and they get through to the playoffs. After Hungary beat Armenia in Yerevan, they were staring elimination in the face had they lost to Portugal. Instead, they head to Budapest with their heads held high.
And are there any other permutations to watch out for?
Portugal haven’t qualified yet, and should they fail to beat Armenia at home (which is highly unlikely), then it leaves them vulnerable not to top the group and qualify automatically. Should they draw with Armenia, and Hungary beat Ireland by three goals, then Hungary would qualify automatically. Should they lose to Armenia, then technically Ireland could top the group with a five-goal win over Hungary. We may be in dreamland, but we’re not that far gone yet.
RM Block
And if Ireland did beat Hungary, when would the playoffs be?
Careful now. Should Ireland beat Hungary and finish second, the 12 runners-up will participate, along with four teams based on the 2024–25 Nations League interim overall ranking, in a mini tournament of 16 teams, with only four places available. So Ireland would have to win a playoff semi-final on March 26th next year, and a playoff final for the spot on March 31st. Not easy, but it would be quite the achievement to even get to the playoffs.
Can they do it?
Nathan Collins talked about making the Aviva Stadium a fortress, and it has been during this campaign, with seven points from nine at home. But they have lost both away games, which does not bode well. More encouragingly, Hungary’s recent home record is not great. They beat Armenia 2-0 in Budapest last month, but before that they went six games without winning, and lost three in a row to Portugal, Sweden and Turkey at the Puskás Arena.
Ireland certainly found a new gear and boosted their confidence against Portugal, particularly with Troy Parrott up front. But Heimir Hallgrímsson will need to devise a new plan for Hungary, who do not need to win the game to get to the playoffs and are unlikely to be as open as Portugal were for counterattacks. As before, Dominik Szoboszlai is the danger man and Ireland must find a way to stop the Liverpool midfielder.
What is the team news?
Assistant manager John O’Shea said earlier in the week that Evan Ferguson could still join the squad after the Roma striker was ruled out of the game against Portugal. His injury status is unclear, but it is unlikely that he would return to start after Parrott’s performance against Portugal.
Ryan Manning, along with Jayson Molumby, return from suspension, but Hallgrímsson may well keep the same side that pulled off that famous victory against the Portuguese, as Liam Scales impressed at left back.
Republic of Ireland squad
Goalkeepers: Caoimhín Kelleher (Brentford), Gavin Bazunu (Southampton), Mark Travers (Everton)
Defenders: Séamus Coleman (Everton), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Dara O’Shea (Ipswich Town), Jake O’Brien (Everton), Jimmy Dunne (QPR), Liam Scales (Celtic), John Egan (Hull City), Ryan Manning (Southampton), Kevin O’Toole (New York City).
Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Burnley), Jayson Molumby (West Brom), Finn Azaz (Southampton), Conor Coventry (Charlton Athletic), Jack Taylor (Ipswich Town), Andrew Moran (LAFC), Jamie McGrath (Hibernian).
Attackers: Troy Parrott (AZ Alkmaar), Adam Idah (Swansea City), Johnny Kenny (Celtic), Mikey Johnston (West Brom), Chiedozie Ogbene (Sheffield United), Festy Ebosele (İstanbul Başakşehir).
