Troy Parrott's stoppage-time hat-trick goal secured the Republic of Ireland a dramatic 3-2 victory over Hungary in Budapest, earning a spot in the World Cup playoffs. The AZ Alkmaar striker, who also scored twice against Portugal days earlier, completed his treble in the sixth minute of added time, poking home from Liam Scales's flicked header.
Parrott, a former Tottenham trainee, opened the scoring with a coolly taken penalty in the 15th minute after Hungary had taken an early lead through Daniel Lukacs's third-minute corner. Barnabas Varga restored Hungary's advantage with a stunning left-foot volley in the 37th minute, but Parrott equalised in the 80th minute with a deft finish.
Hungary, needing only a draw to qualify, cracked under pressure as news filtered through of Portugal's 9-1 win over Armenia. Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher made crucial saves to keep his side in the contest. Manager Heimir Hallgrímsson praised his team's resilience, saying, 'They wasted their own time and that's kind of funny. Now we need to use this moment and continue improving.'
Parrott, who started only due to an injury to Evan Ferguson, described the night as a 'fairytale'. Ireland will face two single-leg playoff matches in March for a place at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The draw for the playoffs takes place on Thursday.
