Alas, Hungary did not get to play the European play-offs for a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup this international break, after Troy Parrott’s dramatic last-minute goal for Ireland back in November. Since Marco Rossi’s boys did not opt to take part in the newly founded FIFA Series against the likes of Solomon Islands or Aruba, as some other European nations did, it was ‘good old-fashioned’ friendlies on the menu this March.
However, despite nothing being on the line, the Puskás Arena in Budapest, Hungary, filled up for the two games against Slovenia and Greece.
In the first game against Slovenia on Saturday, 28 March, Hungary did not have the best of starts. Danijel Šturm scored for the visitors in the 12th minute, but it was ruled out by a narrow offside call. Throughout the entire first half, neither side was able to create any major chances.
In the second half, however, Hungary came out much stronger. Eventually, in the 79th minute, Szabolcs Schön found the winner for his country. Attila Osváth crossed into the box from the right wing, the ETO FC Győr winger from the opposite flank met it in front of goal, kicked the ball to the ground, which then bounced over Igor Vekič (filling in for the world-class Jan Oblak) in the Slovenian goal. This was Schön’s first appearance for the national team since November 2024—and he returned with a winner right away!
The second fixture against Greece took place on Tuesday, 31 March, in the same venue.
Just like against Slovenia three days prior, no team was decisively dominant in the first half. Balázs Tóth in the Hungarian goal, playing for Blackburn Rovers in the second division of English football in his ‘day job’, pulled off a couple of impressive saves; while on the other end, Roland Sallai of Galatasaray and Dominik Szoboszlai of Liverpool came close to finding the net.
However, unlike against Slovenia, nobody got on the scoresheet in the second half either. Szoboszlai was closest to doing just that: he went on an amazing solo dribbling run in the 51st minute, but Greece keeper Konstantinos Tzolakis stopped his close-range effort with a kick-save.
Thus, the game between Hungary and Greece ended in a goalless tie, while the Hungarians’ spring international break ended with a win and a draw. Up next: two more friendlies against Finland and Kazakhstan in June.
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