Here’s Hungary’s road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA: can we do it?
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It was at FIFA’s Zürich headquarters on Friday that Hungary Men were drawn from the second pot of seeds to contest European Qualifying Group F, one which will feature two familiar opponents and one less so. Here’s Hungary’s road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA. Will we be able to qualify? And will President Trump attend our matches with Orbán?
Hungary’s road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico will start in a four-team European Qualifying group including the winners of the Portugal vs Denmark Nations League play-off tie, as well as familiar recent opponent Republic of Ireland and intriguingly, Armenia, whom Hungary have faced just once in the past, a 2004 friendly in Greece, mlsz.hu wrote.
That fixture came during German World Cup winner Lothar Matthäus‘s reign as Hungary head coach, his largely experimental side winning 2-0 during a winter training camp. Republic of ireland are a much more well-known opponent, Marco Rossi’s squad having faced them twice in friendlies in recent years, a warm-up match held in Újpest prior to the delayed Euro 2020 tournament in June 2021 which ended goalless (as did a previous friendly fixture prior to Euro 2012) being followed by another friendly earlier this year when the Irish triumphed 2-1.
The group’s top seeds, the winner of March 2025’s Nations League play-off between Portugal and Denmark, are also very recognisable to Hungarian fans, and not just because they possess world stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo for the former and Christian Eriksen for the latter. Both nations were drawn in the same 2010 World Cup qualifying group as Hungary, two losses against Portugal proving costly as Hungary failed to reached the tournament finals despite a home draw and away victory against Denmark.
Hungary and Portugal have also met in recent EUROs, a pulsating 3-3 draw in 2016 resulting in Hungary’s confirmation as group-stage winners in France, while Portugal gained a measure of revenge by overcoming Hungary 3-0 in Budapest in the 2021 group phase.
Fixture venues, dates and times for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign will be confirmed in due course.
Here are the matches:
- 6 September (Saturday), 8:45 PM: Ireland-Hungary
- 9 September (Tuesday), 8:45 PM: Hungary-Portugal/Denmark
- 11 October (Saturday), 6 PM: Hungary-Armenia
- 14 October (Tuesday), 8:45 PM: Portugal/Denmark-Hungary
- 13 November (Thursday), 6 PM: Armenia-Hungary
- 16 November (Sunday), 3 PM: Hungary-Ireland
Marco Rossi: There is no easy opponent
Hungary Men’s World Cup qualifying opponent from the first pot of seeds, either Portugal or Denmark, will definitely be a tough proposition, according to head coach Marco Rossi, but he’s emphasised there are no easy opponents in international football nowadays anyway.
As well as the winner of the Nations League play-off tie between Portugal or Denmark, European Qualifying Group F will pit Hungary against Republic of Ireland and Armenia during 2025 as Europe’s national teams strive to reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
