Republic of Ireland seal incredible late comeback win to reach World Cup playoffs, knock Hungary out

The Republic of Ireland achieved one of the most remarkable comebacks in World Cup qualifying history, defeating Hungary 3-2 in Budapest on Sunday, thereby securing a place in the playoffs for the 2026 World Cup.

Troy Parrott’s hat trick brought him to tears as Ireland supporters celebrated enthusiastically.

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Heimir Hallgrimsson’s Ireland seemed to be out of the running in qualifying but clinched victory in all of their last three matches, including a significant 2-0 win over Portugal in Dublin on Thursday, keeping their World Cup aspirations alive.

This led to a crucial encounter in Hungary where Ireland fell behind twice, trailing 2-1 with just over 10 minutes remaining, as Hungary needed only a draw to advance to the playoffs and opted to defend.

However, Troy Parrott equalized in the 80th minute and secured the win in the 96th minute in spectacular fashion, sending their traveling fans into a frenzy.

The Tottenham Hotspur academy graduate, now playing for AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, was overcome with emotion as he conversed with RTE Sport after celebrating with his family in the stands in Budapest.

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«I’m incredibly emotional at this moment. What an incredible night,» Parrott expressed. «I can hardly believe it. I truly can’t believe it… This is why we love football. Because moments like this are possible. I cherish my roots. So this means everything to me. My family is present. This is the first time I’ve cried in years. I can hardly believe it… Everyone is shedding tears. I remarked against Portugal that this is what dreams are made of, but I doubt I will ever experience a night better than this in my life. There’s always an opportunity, and we seized it.»