Troy Parrott completed a sensational hat-trick in stoppage time to give the Republic of Ireland a thrilling 3-2 victory over Hungary and secure a spot in the World Cup qualifying play-offs. The AZ Alkmaar striker had already scored twice, but with the match deadlocked at 2-2 in the 96th minute, Parrott calmly slotted home his third goal, keeping Ireland’s hopes for next summer’s World Cup alive.
Parrott’s Last-Minute Magic Secures Play-Off Spot
Ireland finished second in Group F, booking their play-off place thanks to Parrott’s heroics, following a memorable win over table-toppers Portugal earlier in the week.
“This is why we love football, things like this can happen,” Parrott said after the match. “I am really emotional right now. What a night. I said, against Portugal, that this is what dreams are made of, but tonight I will never have a better night in my whole life. It’s a fairytale. You can’t even dream about something like that.”
Thrilling Comeback in Budapest
Hungary struck early, with Daniel Lukacs giving the hosts the lead in the third minute at the Puskas Arena. Troy leveled the score from the penalty spot, only for Barnabas Varga to restore Hungary’s advantage before halftime.
However, the Irish refused to be defeated. Finn Azaz provided a precise assist to Parrott, who met Liam Scales’ knockdown to score the dramatic winner at the death.
The UEFA World Cup play-offs are scheduled for March next year, featuring 12 group runners-up and four of the best-ranked group winners from the 2024/25 UEFA Nations League who did not finish first or second in their European Qualifiers group.
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