As it happened: Ireland battle from two goals down in World Cup qualification opener
SUPER SUB: Adam Idah celebrates the equaliser. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
And breathe. Great effort from Ireland in the second half. Could've, probably even should've, won it. Nobody would've thought that at half time.
Just a lack of quality in front of goal otherwise it would've been a famous win. Draw isn't the end of the world though, despite what I was hinting at half time.
Football eh?
Anyway myself and John Fallon are off to get some reaction from the players and manager.
Stay tuned to our website for a reaction podcast from Brendan and John, as well as the best of the reaction and analysis. Until next time.
Just like Bulgaria in March, Ferguson and Adam Idah score at the Singing Section end to bring a testing night to a satisfying end.
A point will do in the circumstances of trailing by two goals after 15 minutes, avoiding an early setback in a tight qualifying group.
Nobody could claim Ireland didn’t deserve their draw but Hungary will rue losing Roland Sallai to a red card that ultimately left spaces for Ireland to exploit.
Idah’s impact off the bench again pushes his claim for a start in the heat of Armenia on Tuesday. Blemishes will have to eradicated by then.
90+6 Free in for Ireland. Last chance, you would think.
90+4 Manning's cross is headed over by O'Shea. Chance. Some effort this by Ireland.
90+3 Caoimhin Kelleher named man of the match. I thought it should've been Manning.
90+2 The very least Ireland deserve as Idah heads home. Ireland chasing a winner.
Kasey McAteer for Jason Knight.
Idah's cross to the back post goes wide. Collins couldn't get on the end of it.
Ferguson heads the ball wide off the back of Collins. Maybe that sums it up for Ireland tonight in front of goal. Seems to have happened a lot tonight, two Irish players almost getting in each other's way going for a header.
Ogbene wins Ireland a free in a dangerous position on the right.
Hungary win a throw-in deep in Ireland's half. The Hungary fans are delighted with that.
Ireland want a penalty for a foul on Collins but the referee gives a goal kick.
Manning's free is tipped past the far post, not sure if it was creeping in. Corner Ireland.
Free for Ireland on the edge of the box. Manning surely to take.
Double Ireland sub. Idah and Johnston on for Szmodics and Azaz.
Manning's delivery has been brilliant. Another great whipped in free eventually breaks to Ogbene and his shot is saved. Hungary hanging on here, big time.
Mood levels inside the stadium swung by two incidents four minutes apart. From the ripple of boos at half-time came a cacophony of cheers from Evan Ferguson prodding the ball over the line to make it 2-1. Ireland finally got some joy from a set-piece. Roland Sallai’s rush of blood to rake his studs onto the ankle of Dara O’Shea was deserving of a straight red card, giving Ireland the numerical advantage for the final 35 minutes.
A succession of crosses into the box have caused a threat and Collins ought to have done better with a header he couldn’t keep down. Dibusz, booked for time-wasting, has just denied Azaz from close range with his outstretched hand. Hungary remain dangerous on the break but the momentum is with Ireland. Chiedozie Ogbene’s entrance from the bench has the potential to make it count.
74mins Corner for Ireland. Comes to nothing.
Azaz can't believe he hasn't scored there. Neither can the fans. Manning's superb cross. Ogbene heads it down, Azaz heads it goalwards but somehow Dubusz keeps it our. Brilliant save!
Taylor fires over Ogbene's knockdown but the referee blows for a foul anyway. Looked harsh but at least the subs have already combined.
Double Ireland sub. Chiedozie Ogbene and Jack Taylor for Matt Doherty and Josh Cullen.
Looked a big chance but Collins heads over. It's all Ireland here now.
Great cross by O'Brien and it's another Ireland corner.
Dara O'Shea's header deflects over but the referee points for a goal kick.
62mins Corner for Ireland.
Hungary still dangerous on the break but Ireland need to go for it. Another big save by Kelleher. Hungary playing with a 5-3-1.
Hungary keeper booked for time wasting with his goal kick.
Cullen pings a diagonal to the back post but Manning can't keep his header down.
Hallgrimsson should really think about making a couple of attacking changes now. Crowd are up, Hungary a little shakey. Ogbene and Johnston on the bench.
Big save by Kelleher low to his right.
Off the ball incident and Roland Sallai is shown a red card. VAR checks it and clears.
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.
Manning's free was parried, queue a scramble and Ferguson bundles it home. Poor from the Hungary keeper, really. VAR checked a potential foul by Collins but nothing in it.
Goal being checked by VAR.
48mins End to end here and Ferguson is fouled by Attila Szalai, who gets booked.
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
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.
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.
Hungary break and a low cross takes a deflection but Kelleher does well to smother the ball at the feet of Sallai.
Cullen's crossfield ball finds O'Brien but his knockdown finds the keeper. Decent opening that.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Szoboszlai booked for stopping an Ireland attack.
Better from Ireland, couple of neat passages of play. Need to get Azaz into the game more. And Manning. Ireland's better players.
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.
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.
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?
Corner for Hungary.
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.
Nice, easy pass by Josh Cullen out to the right but the fans seemed to think he was taking too long, too slow.
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.
Ireland fans trying their best to lift the side after that early goal.
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.
Heimir Hallgrímsson’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.
Ireland kicking from right to left in the first half, meaning they'll attack their main end in the second.
7.44pm The Wild Rover now ringing around the stadium. That's new.
A big show Israel the red card is unfurled in the home end after the anthems. Along with a lot of red cards.
Time for the anthems.
7.39pm The teams are coming out onto the pitch. Nearly time for kick-off.
It's like a teenage disco in here at the moment. For more, check out our Instagram page.
Loud roars of approval as Evan Ferguson's name is read out. Team news can be found on the link below.
Loud boos as Szoboszlai and Kerkez's names are read out over the PA, for some reason.
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
Both teams are out doing the warm-ups. Dominik Szoboszlai has just scored an absolute beauty from distance. His second this week!
After a long elevator ride and after solving some wifi issues, we're back in business.
Time to get the elevator up to my seat in the press box. The glamour. Regular updates to come shortly so stay tuned.
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The atmosphere was quite good between the two sets of fans in the lead up to kick-off.
Atmosphere is building nicely outside the Aviva ahead of kick off. Big night ahead pic.twitter.com/5aOwAixy94
— Andrew Horgan (@AndrewHorgan) September 6, 2025
And a little earlier than expected, here is the Ireland team news.
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.
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