Ireland’s World Cup hopes dented despite late rescue against 10-man Hungary

A stoppage-time header may have spared Ireland’s blushes against ten-man Hungary, but it did little to disguise the cracks in Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side.

Ireland found themselves 2-0 down inside the opening quarter of an hour, defensive mistakes gifting Hungary a commanding lead.

Evan Ferguson pulled one back before half-time, capitalising on a rare error from the Hungarian goalkeeper to drag the hosts back into the contest.

Hungary’s night then turned sour when Ádám Lang was shown a second yellow card, leaving the visitors to play the final half-hour a man down.

Even so, it took a dramatic 93rd-minute header from substitute Adam Idah to secure a point in Dublin, sparking celebrations that masked the reality of another unconvincing performance.

The draw leaves Ireland sitting third in Group F, level on one point with Hungary after the opening round of fixtures. Portugal topped the table after sweeping aside Armenia 5-0, underlining their status as heavy favourites to qualify automatically.

Group F (after Matchday 1):

1. Portugal – 3 pts (GD +5)

2. Hungary – 1 pt (GD 0)

3. Ireland – 1 pt (GD 0)

4. Armenia – 0 pts (GD -5)

   
   

Next up for Ireland is a trip to Yerevan on 9 September, a game that already feels must-win given the strength of Portugal and Hungary.

The return meeting with Armenia in Dublin follows in October, sandwiched between daunting clashes with the Portuguese.

Ireland’s campaign concludes in November with back-to-back games against Portugal and Hungary, which are fixtures that could decide whether Hallgrimsson’s side scrape into the play-offs or fall short once again.

That schedule highlights the problem for Ireland: there is simply no margin for error. If they fail to beat Armenia home and away, the campaign will be over before it ever truly begins.

The draw with Hungary showed resilience, but it also showed why qualification looks a distant prospect. Defensive lapses left Ireland chasing from the start, and while Ferguson and Idah delivered key moments, the overall performance was disjointed. Against stronger sides like Portugal, that vulnerability will be punished even more ruthlessly.

Hallgrimsson is still new in the job, but time is not on his side. With just six group games, there is little scope for gradual improvement or experimentation. He needs results immediately, and he needs a settled team capable of grinding out wins against opponents Ireland should expect to beat.

It has been 23 years since Ireland last qualified for a World Cup, back in 2002, and successive failures have bred a sense of inevitability around near misses.

Ireland also remains dangerously over-reliant on Evan Ferguson. At just 20, he already carries the bulk of their attacking burden. If he is injured, misfiring or simply crowded out by defenders, the lack of proven alternatives becomes painfully clear.

Squad depth will be another issue. The starting XI can compete, but the drop-off in quality is steep once injuries or suspensions bite. That fragility matters more in a compressed campaign, where every game carries extra weight and there is no room to ease players back in.

Unless Ireland transforms quickly from a team that scrapes points into one that seizes them, the World Cup will remain out of reach, and a point at home to ten-man Hungary will be remembered more as a warning than a platform.