49mins As scrappy a goal as you will see but Ireland won’t care about that. Evan Ferguson gets them back into it. And now the crowd are back into it.
49mins Goal being checked by VAR.
GOAL FOR IRELAND!
48mins End to end here and Ferguson is fouled by Attila Szalai, who gets booked.Â
SECOND HALF IS UNDER WAY
8.48pm Both teams are back out on the pitch. Hungary to get us going again.
Hungary no fear whatsoever. It could/should be 4. So so poor in every way. Another tournament over before it’s really begun. Hard watch.
— Kevin Kilbane (@kdkilbane77) September 6, 2025
8.34pm Half time and there’s a few boos ringing out around the Aviva. A little harsh but it took Ireland going two goals down to finally start playing. Conceded two really poor goals as well. Big half time talk needed by Heimir Hallgrimsson. With Portugal winning 5-0 in Armenia and now this, it already seems like Ireland’s hopes of reaching the World Cup are over. If it stays like this.
45+1mins Big chance for Evan Ferguson. Uses his strength to shrug off the defender, takes it away from him but his powerful shot back across goal is well saved.
THREE MINUTES ADDED ON
44mins Hungary break and a low cross takes a deflection but Kelleher does well to smother the ball at the feet of Sallai.Â
43mins Cullen’s crossfield ball finds O’Brien but his knockdown finds the keeper. Decent opening that.
38mins John Fallon: A third of the match in it appears Ireland’s players have taken their manager’s plea for calmness too far.
Finn Azaz was too lax in allowing Callum Styles the space to hook his pass into the box. Dara O’Shea was equally culpable in letting Barnabás Varga drift the wrong side of him, affording time to angle his shot beyond Kelleher.
Basic organisational lapses cost Ireland the second. Everybody among the 51,000-capacity crowd knew where Dominik Szoboszlai’s out-swinging corner was being directed to but neither Doherty and Nathan Collins tracked Roland Sallai’s run. His free header gave Kelleher no chance.
Dominik Szoboszlai of Hungary is shown a yellow card by referee Harm Osmer during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F qualifying match between Republic of Ireland and Hungary at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Slightly encouraging response but this experienced Hungarian side knows how to grind out results. It won’t help Ireland’s cause that the inexperience at this level of referee Harm Osmers is being shown up. He’s sided with the visitors in every 50/50 call.
Ireland need more from the Southampton duo Manning and Azaz. The latter was fractionally late in arriving to meet Jake O’Brien’s cross but he’s had no fluency to his play.
Szoboszlai, meanwhile, is performing the quarter-back role, by receiving the ball straight from goalkeeper Dénes Dibusz before launching balls into the final third. It doesn’t seem the booking he incurred for scything Jason Knight down has dimmed his influence.
37minsÂ
Half a chance for Doherty on the edge of the box but he drags it wide. Difficult chance that after a poor clearance broke to him.
35mins Ireland have been better since the second goal, albeit that’s not hard. Still haven’t created a chance of note though. Ferguson battling away but getting no service to feet.
30mins Szoboszlai booked for stopping an Ireland attack.
28mins Better from Ireland, couple of neat passages of play. Need to get Azaz into the game more. And Manning. Ireland’s better players.
22mins Ireland fans want a penalty but the referee gives a free out. Replays in the ground enrage the Irish fans further. Don’t think it was a penalty but wasn’t a free out either.Â
21mins Callum Styles skiies his effort from the edge of the penalty area. Had space initially but Cullen and co reacted to put him off. Could’ve done better, mind.
16mins And just like that it’s 0-2. Dominik Szoboszlai was getting loudly booed as he made his way over to take the corner. He responds by planting his delivery onto the head of Roland Sallai, who directs it past Kelleher and ito the far bottom left corner. Game over? Hopes of going to the World Cup over?
GOAL FOR HUNGARY!
15mins Corner for Hungary.
Evan Ferguson after his side concedes their first goal. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
12mins Sammie Szmodics, who could’ve played for Hungary, is urged to shoot from distance by the fans. Bad decision, he drags it harmlessly wide of the target.
11mins Nice, easy pass by Josh Cullen out to the right but the fans seemed to think he was taking too long, too slow.
10mins Chance for Ireland. Jake O’Brien does well down the right, beats his man but his cross is a little awkward for the on running Finn Azaz to direct goalwards. Better from the home side.
8mins Hungary on the attack, fans getting a little nervous now. Vocal Hungary fans in the corner are having a great time.
5mins Ireland fans trying their best to lift the side after that early goal.
President of the GAA Jarlath Burns in attendance/ Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
3mins Worst possible start for Ireland. Doherty’s header is knocked back into the box. Doherty is playing Varga well onside and he blasts it into the roof of the net.
GOAL FOR HUNGARY!
2minsÂ
John Fallon: Heimir HallgrÃmsson’s preference for Ryan Manning further up the pitch influenced the decision to fill the left-back place created by Robbie Brady’s absence with Matt Doherty. Granted, he’s a right-footer but has switched flanks in his club career, less so Ireland, and his experience can a vital commodity.
The two ‘sixes’, as the manager and his assistant Paddy McCarthy, branded the holding midfielders will be filled by Josh Cullen and Jason Knight. Their role in smothering the threat of Dominik Szoboszlai will be critical.
Republic of Ireland supporters protest against Israel during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F qualifying match between Republic of Ireland and Hungary at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
1min Ireland kicking from right to left in the first half, meaning they’ll attack their main end in the second.
KICK OFF!
7.44pm The Wild Rover now ringing around the stadium. That’s new.
7.42pm A big show Israel the red card is unfurled in the home end after the anthems. Along with a lot of red cards.
7.41pm Time for the anthems.
7.39pm The teams are coming out onto the pitch. Nearly time for kick-off.
7.38pm It’s like a teenage disco in here at the moment. For more, check out our Instagram page.
7.34pm Loud roars of approval as Evan Ferguson’s name is read out. Team news can be found on the link below.
7.33pm Loud boos as Szoboszlai and Kerkez’s names are read out over the PA, for some reason.
7.31pm Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix both struck twice as the visitors brushed aside Armenia 5-0.
For the full match report, click here.
7.27pm Hungary have returned to the dressing room. Ireland still taking shots. Sammie Szmodics has just buried one in the far corner, followed by a rendition of ‘Come on you boys in green!’
Hopefully Dominik Szoboszlai continues to shoot like that! At least he scored the second one! pic.twitter.com/UYnVT1lOSG
— Andrew Horgan (@AndrewHorgan) September 6, 2025
7.20pm Both teams are out doing the warm-ups. Dominik Szoboszlai has just scored an absolute beauty from distance. His second this week!
7.19pm After a long elevator ride and after solving some wifi issues, we’re back in business.
6.51pm Time to get the elevator up to my seat in the press box. The glamour. Regular updates to come shortly so stay tuned.
6.46pm The atmosphere was quite good between the two sets of fans in the lead up to kick-off.Â
Atmosphere is building nicely outside the Aviva ahead of kick off. Big night ahead pic.twitter.com/5aOwAixy94
— Andrew Horgan (@AndrewHorgan) September 6, 2025
6.30pm And a little earlier than expected, here is the Ireland team news.
6.15pm Welcome one and all to our liveblog on a huge night for Irish football.
My name is Andrew Horgan and I am currently in the press room at the Aviva stadium, along with former Hungary and Liverpool goalkeeper Adam Bogdan, ahead of the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup qualification opener against Hungary.
With Portugal 4-0 up away to Armenia (at the time of writing), this fixture could be decisive in determining who finishes second in the group, at least, and secure a playoff spot to reach the finals in America, Mexico and Canada next summer.
Anyway, kick off is an hour and a half away yet so before then feel free to read some of the best preview pieces from our website below.
Dion Fanning: Ireland longing for a golden era while also trying to escape the past.