Hungarian media reaction to World Cup qualification exit: 'The Irish sang the cheese out of our mouths'

Troy Parrott is now a name the Magyars will always remember, the Budapest press adimt. 

Hungary supporters cheer before the World Cup 2026 group F qualifying soccer match between Hungary and Ireland in Budapest. Pic: AP Photo/Denes Erdos

With his hat-trick against the Magyars on Sunday afternoon, Troy Parrott has entered the Schillaci Zone for the Hungarian nation. 

"Troy Parrott's name has probably been learned for life by the footballers of the Hungarian national team," Varga Balázs and Borbola Bence write in Nemzeti Sport, "the Irish striker first lifted the ball nicely over Dénes Dibusz who started from his goal, and in the moments before the final whistle, he was perhaps the only one who believed that he could reach the ball. We have to admit that after the Irish equaliser, the Hungarian national team pulled their opponent too much on themselves, it was noticeable in the last 10 or 15 minutes, which could even be a serious problem."

Expect the Sheriff Street man to pop up in Hungarian beer TV commercials in 20-30 years. 

And thanks to the same writers, we learned a new dairy-based idiom, presuming the translation does it justice.  

"After the final whistle, all sad children, young men hoarse from screaming, and a family walking in silence headed home. The Hungarian national team's World Cup dreams ended on 16 November, even though it seemed for a long time that the team could achieve its goal and be in the playoffs, the Irish finally sang the cheese out of our mouths... For us, it was to get the second place in the group, the goal would have been, it was a few seconds before it didn't work out."

Of course in sport, for every image of Irish children celebrating or a pub lounge erupting in joy, there's an equal and opposite reaction. Pór Károly spells it out: "On Sunday, Hungarian football received another blow that will not be easy to recover, especially if we only use symptomatic treatment without any profound changes. 

"It is at least as difficult as it is for a journalist who walks home after a match with tears in his eyes to calm down his 10-year-old footballer son, who has been sobbing in front of the TV for hours, and say something encouraging to him. Today's children – and of course the older ones – have been spoiled by the team in recent years, and now came the bitter awakening. Against the Irish, there was a full house in the Puskás Arena, but when will there be a full house next?"

One suspects that Bernau Péter, writing in Nepszava, might have had his tongue in his cheek when trying to identify a culprit after a traumatic evening for the hosts. 

"The Irish are to blame," he writes, "because they played in a very unpleasant style for the Hungarian national team, they were constantly looking for duels, they collided, they were tough, aggressive, this approach is far from the Hungarian style based on spectacle and technique. The International Football Federation is to blame, and FIFA should be ashamed of itself for only increasing the number of participating national teams to 48. Why don't you let 128 countries go there, then maybe the Hungarian team would also be able to make it to the World Cup?"

In an overview of the day's events, Magyar Nezet, noted the online activity of Irish supporters during the game: "To add to the chronicle of the match, hundreds of posts were posted on social media, mainly by Irish fans, about Szoboszlai's first-half goal celebration, which was compared to five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, but in this case, many people may have been fooled by artificial intelligence. Szoboszlai's great role model is the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, but he would probably have disregarded this comparison."

The game too made headlines beyond Hungary and Ireland of course.   

"Ireland madness in the 96th minute" wrote Bild in Germany.

"Drama in Budapest. Parrott equalised again and then the Irish whirlwind began. With irrepressible will, the visitors pressed for victory and were rewarded in the 96th minute. Parrott does it - 3-2 for Ireland."

L'Equipe meanwhile, wrote the late winner "offered immeasurable happiness to an entire nation, starting with his bench, drunk with joy to embrace the hero of the evening."

Back in Hungary, Blikk details what transpired when native journalists huddled around the country's emotional FA chief in the wake of the defeat. 

"Csányi left the crossfire of the cameras, but allegedly he could still be seen trying to get behind one of the screens, starting to cry again."

In a depiction of a happier scene finally, the same outlet reported on the reaction from the manager of Hungary's leading club side, Ferencvaros. 

Robbie Keane, on familiar ground in Gibney's of Malahide, was in full voice, they write: "The 146-time Irish international and goalscorer led the chant 'There's only one Troy Parrott' to the well-known tune of Winter Wonderland."