Hungary Set for March Friendlies: Kerkez & Szoboszlai to Lead the Charge vs Slovenia & Greece

Hungary will not compete at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a heartbreaking finale in qualifying Group F.

Troy Parrott scored a match-winning hat-trick, including a 96th-minute winner, to inspire the Republic of Ireland to a last-gasp 3-2 victory against Marco Rossi’s side in the final qualifying fixture.  

Despite leading by a slender one-goal margin in the 80th minute, Hungary suffered a stomach-wrenching defeat in Budapest, which condemned them to a third-place finish in Group F.

Ireland’s stunning victory came against the odds, with Heimir Hallgrímsson’s side claiming an unlikely win in Budapest despite being priced at 12/5 by bookmakers before kick-off.

Hungary entered the match at 11/10 to claim all three points, but even strikes from Daniel Lukacs and Barnabas Varga couldn’t stop them from enduring one of their most agonising defeats in recent memory.

More importantly, the Magyars have failed to qualify for yet another World Cup finals, with their last appearance at the most prestigious international tournament dating back to 1986.

Parrott gave Rossi and his men a bitter pill to swallow, and they’ll be looking to bounce back in the upcoming international friendlies next month.

Hungary will return to action in March with a set of international friendlies against Slovenia and Greece, hoping to make a fresh start and rebuild confidence ahead of September’s UEFA Nations League.

Hungary vs Slovenia

Like the Hungarians, Slovenia will miss out on the upcoming finals after finishing third in a four-team Group B, behind Switzerland and Kosovo, having failed to win any of their six matches.

Slovenia netted just three goals during their embarrassing qualifying campaign, forcing long-serving manager Matjaz Kek to step down in early December.

Bostjan Cesar, Slovenia’s most-capped player, took over from Kek after steering Maribor to a runner-up finish in the 2024/25 Slovenian First League season.

Cesar will make his touchline debut at the Puskas Arena when Hungary take on the former Yugoslavia republic for the first time since 2008, with the game set to take place on March 28.

The Magyars lost both previous meetings with Slovenia by a single-goal margin and will, therefore, be looking not only for revenge but also to redeem their disjointed home form.

Rossi’s men have picked up just one win in their eight home outings since Euro 2024 (D3, L4), courtesy of a 2-0 triumph over continental minnows Armenia in October.

Liverpool talisman Dominik Szoboszlai wasn’t on the scoresheet in that victory, but he recently scored a stunning free-kick in the Reds’ 2-1 home defeat to Manchester City.

However, according to Rossi (via Marca), Szoboszlai ‘dreams’ of playing for Real Madrid one day, meaning he could follow in the footsteps of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who swapped Anfield for Spain last summer.

Hungary vs Greece

As in March 2025, Hungary have done well to match up with teams at their level as long-term preperations for Euro 2028’s qualifications begin.

Hungary’s final warm-up ahead of the upcoming Nations League return pits them against Greece in what will mark the tenth meeting between the two sides this century.

Rossi’s side eked out a 2-1 win when the teams last met in a 2022 friendly, continuing the fixture’s topsy-turvy trend, with Hungary alternating wins and losses over the last four encounters.

Against this backdrop, the Magyars have not lost any of their last four home matches against the Euro 2004 winners (W3, D1) since a 2-1 defeat in 2007, scoring at least two goals in each victory.

They bagged precisely two goals in their last three home internationals of 2025, with Liverpool newcomer Milos Kerkez contributing with an assist against Ireland, only his third in the national team.

Consistent goal contributions have eluded Kerkez this season, but the 22-year-old left-back appears to be hitting his stride at Anfield after an underwhelming start.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk praised the former Bournemouth ace’s progress (via BBC News), which may help boost Kerkez’s confidence even further.

Kerkez and Szoboszlai are expected to lead Hungary’s offensive charge against Greece, as the Magyars look to claim back-to-back victories in their head-to-head clashes for the first time ever.

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