Hungary vs Greece – News and Probable Lineups

Both teams, having missed out on qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, are set to meet in Budapest for a friendly encounter on Tuesday night, aiming to conclude the international break with a win.

Marco Rossi’s squad is looking to secure consecutive victories after defeating Slovenia 1-0 earlier in the week, while the Greeks are hoping to rebound following a 1-0 loss to Paraguay.

Match overview

Hungary appeared well-positioned to claim a playoff spot during the qualifying stages, amassing seven points from their first four matches and needing only a draw against the Republic of Ireland in their concluding group match.

However, a late hat-trick from Troy Parrott led to their stunning defeat, keeping Hungary away from football’s premier tournament again, and shifting their focus towards international friendlies.

Despite participating in the last three European Championships, Hungary has not appeared in a World Cup since 1986 and will now have to wait another four years for a chance to break that streak, with both the Euros and Nations League providing opportunities to regain momentum and reconnect with their supporters in the meantime.

They did bounce back from their painful loss with a gritty win over Slovenia, thanks to a goal from Szabolcs Schon, and now aim to build on that momentum by aiming for back-to-back victories.

Another friendly against Finland is scheduled for June before the Nations League campaign kicks off later this year, featuring Ukraine, Georgia, and Northern Ireland in their group.

Similarly, Greece also faced disappointment in their qualification journey, finishing behind Denmark and Scotland in Group C, thus missing out on a spot in the tournament.

A 3-1 loss to the Danes in October sealed their fate, marking a third World Cup in succession without an appearance, with their last participation in the global tournament dating back to 2014.

The Azure & White began their qualifying campaign positively, demolishing Belarus 5-1, but suffered three consecutive defeats and could only manage four additional points, finishing third and four points behind the runner-up.

Since then, they have concentrated on friendlies, but endured a disappointing start, falling 1-0 at home to Paraguay, resulting in only one win from their last six encounters across all competitions.

These two teams will face each other for the first time since 2022, when Hungary emerged victorious in a friendly match with a 2-1 scoreline.

Team News

Hungary may assign debuts to two uncapped players from their original squad as they named four in total.

Donat Barany and Tamas Szucs both made their first appearances as substitutes during the victory over Slovenia, while Mark Csinger and Aron Yaakobishvili await their chances for their senior internationals.

Schon also came off the bench to net his inaugural international goal, which could lead him to take a starting spot over Roland Sallai in this fixture.

It is anticipated that Liverpool duo Milos Kerkez and Dominik Szoboszlai will once again feature in Rossi’s lineup.

On the other hand, Greece appears to have no fresh injury worries following their loss to Paraguay, although adjustments to the starting XI are expected as they aim to secure a win.

Ivan Jovanovic made nine changes for that encounter, with only Odysseas Vlachodimos and Pantelis Hatzidiakos playing the full 90 minutes, and both are likely to maintain their positions.

Greece’s captain Anastasios Bakasetas is also expected to return to midfield as he aims to add to his tally of 19 international goals, while top scorer Christos Tzolis in the World Cup qualifiers is set to make his 32nd appearance for the national team.

Hungary probable starting XI:

Thoth; Bolla, Orban, Dardai, Kerkez; Schafer, Vitalis; Schon, Toth, Szoboszlai; Lukacs

Greece probable starting XI:

Vlachodimos? Rota, Mavropanos, Hatzidiakos, Tsimikas; Mouzakitis, Kourbelis; Karetsas, Bakasetas, Tzolis? Douvikas

Both teams approach this fixture eager to recover from their disappointing qualification runs, and given the minimal difference between them, a tightly contested match is anticipated.