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Milos Kerkez and Dominik Szoboszlai will not be featuring at next summer's World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico after the Liverpool pair's country fell to a dramatic defeat against Ireland.
Hungary needed to avoid defeat on home soil to ensure it made the play-offs and finished second behind Portugal. However, Troy Parrott scored in the 96th minute in Budapest to earn Ireland the win.
Liverpool duo Kerkez and Szoboszlai will therefore have the summer off, but both were devastated at the final whistle. As captain, Szoboszlai will have to rally his teammates with Hungary last having qualified for the World Cup in 1986.
Kerkez took to Instagram on Monday, the morning after Hungary's painful defeat. He simply posted a picture of his head inside his jersey, with a Hungarian flag and a heart emoji.
Liverpool teammates including Giorgi Mamardashvili and Curtis Jones were among those to like the post.
The goalkeeper's Georgia finished behind Spain and Turkiye in their group. Jones, meanwhile, wasn't selected by Thomas Tuchel to play for England, with Bournemouth's Alex Scott preferred in the latest squad.
Szoboszlai could barely bring himself to speak when the game came to an end, and the Liverpool star’s emotions were reflected by Hungarian outlet Nemzeti Sport.
"It took some time for the national team to gather themselves after the whistle," it said.
"Most of them were lying on the ground staring ahead, others were sitting on the drinks crate by the sideline, holding their heads, but there were also those who were slumped on the bench and staring at their shoes.
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“Only Barnabas Varga was walking around the pitch, shaking his head. It was a moving sight as he walked up and down the pitch, saddened by the Ferencvaros striker.
"A few meters behind him, the Irish national team members were kissing each other, jumping and singing. Yet 10 minutes before the end of regular time, there was still no sign of the great Irish resurrection."
The outlet questioned some of Hungary boss Marco Rossi’s selections. Szoboszlai, for instance, was selected to play in a deeper role in midfield, a call that was labeled "strange to see".
Liverpool.com says: The World Cup should have the best players there and Szoboszlai has definitely been a standout performer in the Premier League so far this term. To lose in such dramatic circumstances will have been heartbreaking.
English (US) ·