Troy Parrott delivered one of the most extraordinary performances in modern Irish football, completing a dramatic hat-trick with a stoppage-time winner to send the Republic of Ireland into the World Cup playoffs and crush Hungary’s hopes in Budapest.
Just days after scoring twice in Ireland’s famous victory over Portugal in Dublin, the AZ Alkmaar forward produced another career-defining display at the Puskas Arena. Parrott had called Thursday’s win the best night of his life, but Sunday’s late heroics eclipsed even that.
The 22-year-old—who may not have started either match had Roma striker Evan Ferguson been fit—held his nerve throughout a hostile atmosphere. After Daniel Lukacs opened the scoring for Hungary from a third-minute corner, Parrott levelled from the penalty spot on 15 minutes despite a deafening home crowd attempting to distract him.
Hungary regained the lead in the 37th minute when Barnabas Varga executed a superb chest-and-volley finish from outside the box. As news filtered through that Portugal had thrashed Armenia 9–1 to win Group F, tension grew among the Hungarian players despite Dominik Szoboszlai’s industrious performance.
Ireland, sticking to the same direct and relentless approach used to stun Portugal, surged forward in the second half. Caoimhin Kelleher delivered a standout goalkeeping display to keep his side within reach, while Hungary failed to put the game to bed in the closing stages.
Parrott equalised in the 80th minute with a delicate, looping finish, setting the stage for an unforgettable finale. Deep in the sixth minute of added time, Liam Scales flicked on a header and Parrott reacted quickest, poking the ball away from goalkeeper Denes Dibusz before sending the Irish fans into raptures.
“It feels like a fairytale,” Parrott said after the wild celebrations. “I have no words for the emotions right now. I’ll never have a better night in my life.”
Hungary’s frustrations were summed up by their manager, Heimir Hallgrímsson, who accused his team of wasting time at the wrong moments: “They wasted their own time and that’s kind of funny. Now we need to build from this.”
Ireland will now face two single-leg playoff matches in March to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Should they progress, it will mark Ireland’s first appearance at a World Cup finals since 2002. The playoff draw will take place on Thursday.
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