For just about every person in Ireland, no excuse is needed to whip out the clip of Troy Parrott’s last-gasp winner against Hungary for a 456th time since mid-November.

Parrott’s hat-trick clinching goal, his fifth across the double-header against Portugal and Hungary, will go down as one of the greatest moments in Irish football history regardless of whether Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side do ultimately reach this summer’s finals.

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The dramatic nature of Ireland’s comeback only amplified the wave of emotion that swept over the country, with the away end in the Puskas Arena entering what could only be described as a state of pandemonium when Parrott’s third goal hit the net.

For the vast majority in the Budapest stadium, though, it was an utterly devastating conclusion to their World Cup campaign.

Having lost only one game prior in the qualifying group, Hungary were seconds away from clinching a playoff spot and moving a step closer to their first World Cup since 1986. nstead, their wait will go on to 44 years.

Ireland have suffered their fair share of heartbreak down through the years, but trying to imagine the devastation Hungary fans experienced at the full-time whistle is a difficult task.

Judging by quotes this week from captain Dominik Szoboszlai, it’s clear that the defeat to Ireland has left scars that will take a long time to heal for Hungary’s players, too.

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Dominik Szoboszlai shows how much Ireland game scarred him

Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai spoke to Sky Sports’ Pat Davidson this week, ahead of his side’s crunch Premier League clash with Arsenal on Thursday evening.

The conversation pivoted to the midfielder’s dream achievements for the remainder of his career – and the mention of the World Cup brought a prolonged silence, and an honest admission of just how much hurt he still felt from the Ireland game in November.

Szoboszlai: “I have a lot…long-term…Champions League, win the Champions League. Being in the next Euros with Hungary. Being in the next World Cup with Hungary after…after…we don’t talk about it.”

Davidson: “I mean, how tough was that, by the way?”

Szoboszlai: “It was very tough. I never felt more sad. I wasn’t angry. I was sad. More sad than this…never, ever before. So, I owe them a World Cup.”

The pause before Szoboszlai continued after mentioning the World Cup was striking, and showed how deep Hungary had been cut by the conclusion of November’s extraordinary qualifier.

Szoboszlai has been something of a pantomime villain for Ireland fans in the past, clashing with Séamus Coleman in a June 2024 friendly.

Even in the decisive World Cup qualifier in November, Szoboszlai riled up many Irish viewers – including Eamon Dunphy – with his antics after Barnabas Varga had put Hungary 2-1 up.

Now, it is Ireland who are living in his head and those of his Hungary teammates.

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