أعلنت رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز عن هوية الحكم الذي سيتولى إدارة مباراة مانشستر سيتي وليفربول، في إطار منافسات البطولة، يوم الأحد المقبل.

ويستضيف ملعب “الاتحاد” مباراة قمة الجولة الحادية عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26، بين مانشستر سيتي وليفربول.

ويحتل مانشستر سيتي المركز الثاني في جدول الدوري الإنجليزي، في الوقت الحالي، برصيد 19 نقطة، بفارق نقطة واحدة فقط عن ليفربول صاحب المركز الثالث.

وحسبما أعلنت رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي، فإن الحكم كريس كافاناج سيكون مسؤولًا عن إدارة مباراة مانشستر سيتي وليفربول، وسيساعده كل من دان كوك وستيوارت بيرت، أما الحكم الرابع فهو سام باروت.

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في حين أن حكم تقنية الفيديو، في مباراة مانشستر سيتي وليفربول، سيكون مايكل أوليفر، ويساعده في ذلك تيم وود.

وسبق أن أدار كافاناج 3 مباريات لصالح ليفربول ذلك الموسم، حيث خسر في كأس الدرع الخيرية أمام كريستال بالاس بركلات الترجيح، وفاز على آرسنال بهدف دون رد، وتعرض للهزيمة أمام كريستال بالاس بهدفين لهدف في الدوري الإنجليزي.

ولم يدر كافاناج أي مباراة لـ مانشستر سيتي في الموسم الحالي، مع العلم أنه تولى مسؤولية التحكيم في مباراتين لكتيبة بيب جوارديولا ضد ليفربول، حيث تعادلا في إحداهما بهدف لمثله في نوفمبر 2023، بينما فاز الريدز في الأخرى بهدفين دون رد في ديسمبر الماضي.

Following the news of Brendan Rodgers’ resignation, Celtic have reportedly added Robbie Keane to their shortlist of managerial candidates. The former Leeds United coach joins the likes of Ange Postecoglou as the Bhoys seek a new permanent boss.

It’s been a dramatic week for those at Celtic Park. First losing 3-1 and conceding an eight-point gap to surprise Scottish Premiership leaders Heart, those in Glasgow then received Rodgers’ shock resignation – sparking a managerial search and a brutal statement from majority shareholder Dermot Desmond.

Accusing Rodgers of being “self-serving” and “divisive”, Desmond didn’t hold back. Whether the manager, himself, soon has his own say is now the big question.

In the meantime, the show must go on at Celtic, who have hired veteran manager Martin O’Neill on an interim basis. Keeping the seat warm, O’Neill will be expected to steady the ship as soon as the Old Firm derby against Rangers this week. The Bhoys meet their rivals in the Scottish League Cup semi-final.

The longer their search for a manager goes on, however, the more questions that will be asked at Celtic. So far, names such as Postecoglou and former Borussia Dortmund man Edin Terzic have both been mentioned, with the former a particularly strong candidate thanks to his previous experience in Glasgow.

The Australian could certainly do with a return to Scotland too, following a disastrous 39-day spell at Nottingham Forest. But he’s not the only one on Celtic’s shortlist, with Keane also among the reported options.

The change of style that Robbie Keane would bring to Celtic

As reported by journalist Ben Jacobs, Keane has now made the shortlist at Celtic as they search for their next manager.

The 45-year-old is currently in charge of Hungarian side Ferencvaros and has had previous experience at Maccabi Tel Aviv as well as in an assistant role at Ireland, Middlsbrough and Leeds United.

Some may question Keane’s experience, or more the lack of it, but his style of football is something to keep an eye on. The former Liverpool and Celtic attacker told reporters in 2020 that he likes to play energetic, pressing football, which could finally unlock the Bhoys’ free-scoring talents once again.

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Daizen Maeda would arguably benefit the most from the change in style from Rodgers’ slower, possession-based approach. The forward scored 33 goals in all competitions last season, before struggling with just three in 13 in the current campaign.

What’s more, the fact that O’Neill already knows Keane well from his playing days could help his case. The current interim boss once even praised his former forward as “terrific” during his time on the pitch.

Celtic linked with manager who nearly joined Rangers

Mitchell Owen says he was more nervous with the ball than he was with the bat in his dream T20I debut against West Indies in Jamaica, revealing that his game plan in an unfamiliar role at No. 6 was no different to when he has dominated as a franchise opener.Owen, 23, joined Ricky Ponting and David Warner as the third Australian man to score a half-century on T20I debut, clubbing 50 off 27 balls to help Australia to a three-wicket win over West Indies in the opening match of a five-game series at Sabina Park.He earlier took his maiden T20I wicket in his first and only over, removing Shai Hope for 55 at a crucial moment in the innings which sparked a West Indies collapse of 6 for 30 that was critical in Australia’s win.Related

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Owen admitted he was very nervous in his first over, especially after Shimron Hetmyer launched his first ball for six.”I thought I was on 36 off the over there when he smacked me for six first ball,” Owen said after the match. “But I was lucky Shai hit one up the shoot and got my first wicket. I was pretty nervous running in those first six balls, but nice to get it out of the way.”Owen’s innings with the bat was even more remarkable given it was his first half-century in T20 cricket batting in a middle-order position. He had earned his call-up to the Australia squad on the back of stunning returns as an opener in the most recent BBL where he made two centuries for Hobart Hurricanes. Prior to Sunday, in 16 career T20 innings batting from No. 3 to 8, he had scored just 174 runs at 14.50, with a strike-rate of 148.71 and a highest score of 34, and had only twice batted at No. 6.Owen said he was unperturbed by starting against spin with five men on the rope.”I honestly tried not to look at the field too much and just sort of react to each ball, which I think held me in good stead,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a little bit different, but I think my process, my game plan, wasn’t too different to opening the batting coming in at six. We had to strike at 10s or nines when I came out. So I still had to be nice and positive. If I took my time to sort of try and get into innings, I feel like I sort of dig myself a hole. So, yeah, just try and get after them from ball one.”With captain Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head likely to be Australia’s first-choice openers for T20 World Cup next year, and Matthew Short the first-choice back-up, the selectors were keen to trial Owen in the middle-order and will be delighted with the early returns.His fearlessness against spin would have pleased them most given Australia’s middle order has often been bogged down by left-arm spin and legspin through the middle stages in the past. Owen blasted three sixes in four balls off left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein in the 12th over. He also launched two sixes off Andre Russell and one off Alzarri Joseph.Owen combined beautifully with new No. 4 Cameron Green, who himself worked two twos of Gudakesh Motie in the middle phase before smashing him for a six and a boundary to go with the four other sixes he hammered off Joseph and Jason Holder. The pair added 80 off 40 balls after coming together at 78 for 4 in the ninth over.”It was a lot of fun,” Owen said. “It’s the first time I’ve been on the same side as Greeny. So it was nice to be out there with him and contribute to a pretty good partnership. We kept each other nice and calm and just stuck to our processes.”Mitchell Owen and Cameron Green put up a match-winning stand•Getty Images

Ben Dwarshuis, who starred with the ball in Australia’s win taking 4 for 36, told ESPN’s Around the Wicket that Owen’s batting is on a different planet at the moment.”I’ve been on the receiving end of this bowling to him over the past nine months, and he’s just in a different world at the moment,” Dwarshuis said. “I think anything that’s remotely missed the mark from a bowling point of view, he seems to clear the rope. You see zero fours and six sixes. I think that shows that he’s ultra aggressive and if you miss your line and length, he’s going to make you pay.”It capped a dream debut for Owen after he received his T20I cap from close friend and Hobart Hurricanes captain Nathan Ellis, with his parents and his partner at Sabina Park to watch it.”Really special,” Owen said. “He had some really nice words for me. I was obviously stoked to get the hat and stoked to have my parents over here. Obviously, it’s a bit of a messed up travel getting to the West Indies, but yeah, they’ve sacrificed a lot my whole life, and this trip’s only just another one. So super grateful that they got to experience that.”

His unbeaten 78 off 37 balls consigned San Francisco Unicorns to their second loss in a row

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jul-2025Shimron Hetmyer was Seattle Orcas’ hero for the third straight time, scoring an unbeaten 78 off 37 balls, consigning San Francisco Unicorns to their second loss in MLC 2025.Hetmyer, who was coming into this game on the back of an unbeaten 97 off 40 balls and 64 not out off 26, was once again the backbone of Orcas’ stumbling chase. Having restricted Unicorns to 168 for 5, Orcas slipped to 56 for 4 in the tenth over. However, Hetmyer stitched important stands with Heinrich Klaasen and Aaron Jones to give Orcas a last-over win for the third game running by four wickets.Orcas’ 169-run chase started on the wrong foot, with Xavier Bartlett ending opener Steven Taylor’s misery for a ten-ball duck. Bartlett struck in his next over again, this time taking out Kyle Mayers.Shayan Jahangir and Sikandar Raza forged a 38-run third-wicket stand, with the former the aggressor. But both batters fell off consecutive deliveries in the tenth over, and Orcas’ chase started falling apart.Then Hetmyer happened. He was out and about in quick time, smashing two sixes in his first three balls. Even as the batters at the other end fell, Hetmyer did not curb his attacking flair. He reached his fifty off 23 balls with a straight six down the ground and ensured the required rate never got out of hand.Sanjay Krishnamurthi top-scored for San Francisco Unicorns with a 28-ball 41•MLCWith 30 needed off the last three overs, he started by smashing Brody Couch over deep backward square leg before going after Bartlett, bringing the equation down to eight in the final over. Hetmyer then deposited Romario Shepherd for a 102m six over long-on before casually finishing off the chase with a couple of runs and three balls to spare.Earlier, sent into bat, Unicorns were rocked early with left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh snapping up Matthew Short with his fourth ball. Jake Fraser-McGurk thrashed Harmeet for three back-to-back fours, while Finn Allen also struck a few telling blows with the duo adding 49 off 31 balls for the second wicket.Left-arm fast bowler Ayan Desai, however, struck in the final over of the powerplay, removing Allen while captain Raza saw the back of Fraser-McGurk soon after. Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Unicorns’ top-scorer, whacked left-arm wristpinner Waqar Salamkheil for two sixes on the bounce and then smoked two more against Raza as Unicorns raced to 94 for 3 after ten overs.But Orcas staged a comeback, conceding just 34 runs in the next seven overs, with Krishnamurthi also falling. Unicorns required Shepherd to thump two sixes off his three balls faced to take them past the 165-mark. For the longest time, it seemed the total would be enough. Then came Hetmyer.This was Orcas’ third win after five straight losses, while Unicorns, who won six consecutive matches, have now gone down twice in two games.

Shohei Ohtani is now a World Series champion, but it's clear he wants more.

Soon after the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Yankees to win the World Series in five games on Wednesday night, Ohtani ran into Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. He immediately made a promise.

When the Dodgers gave Ohtani and 10-year, $700 million contract, the goal was to win championships. According to , Ohtani found Friedman and said, "Alright. Nine more, nine more."

The nine he's referring to is World Series titles. Ohtani has nine years left on his contract. So the greatest baseball player on the planet was saying his goal is to win a title in each year he plays with the Dodgers.

After that interaction, Friedman said, "In his first year, he won a championship. He's like, 'This is easy. We're just gonna do it again nine more times.'"

It's hard to argue against Ohtani having the best first season with a new franchise in MLB history. He hit .310, with 54 home runs, 130 RBIs, an OPS of 1.036 and he stole 59 bases becoming the first player to ever notch 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. Then, to cap it off, he led his team to a World Series title.

It will be hard for Ohtani to top his 2024 campaign. But if anyone can do it, he can.

Manny Machado has a lot of baseball people questioning what they know.

During Game 3 of the National League Division Series between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, Machado pulled a baserunning move that puzzled a lot of observers. Hall of Famer Chipper Jones is the latest to be confused by the play.

In the bottom of the second inning of Tuesday night's contest, Machado was on first base with no outs. Rookie Jackson Merrill grounded a Walker Buehler pitch to Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. He made the stop on the infield grass from his knees and attempted to throw to second to get Machado. The Padres' first baseman saw where Freeman was set to field the ball and veered onto the grass on his way to second base. Freeman's throw hit Machado and bounced into the outfield, allowing him to reach third base. That sparked a six-run rally for the Padres who won 6-5.

Here's video of the play:

And here's Jones's reaction:

To answer his question, no this is not illegal. By rule, runners can establish their own running lanes unless an opposing fielder is attempting to make a tag. So on that play, Machado can run wherever he wants to unless he's trying to avoid a tag. The route he took was completely legal and is actually how runners are taught to do things on these types of plays. It's on the fielder to avoid him with the throw.

It's worth noting, that rule is different when players are running to first base since there is an established running lane.

After the game, Freeman was asked about the play and said the ruling was correct and he would have done exactly what Machado did.

After the game, Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts was asked about it and had a similar answer. He said, "Manny, you can create your own base path if you're not avoiding a tag. And it was a heady play."

So there's the answer. Machado's play was completely legal which is why he was not called out.

Since taking over Manchester City in 2016, Pep Guardiola’s team has constantly evolved, going through different eras with countless top quality players key to the Sky Blues’ success.

Right now, we’re all very much living in the Erling Braut Håland-era, given that the Norwegian striker has now scored 18 goals this season, most recently on target against former club Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

In behind the goalbot though, Guardiola has an array of attacking options at his disposal, but could two of these players be poised to replicate, arguably, Manchester City’s most productive ever attacking duo?

Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling's Manchester City legacy

Of players who’ve made the most appearances for Guardiola during his illustrious managerial career, Raheem Sterling ranks seventh on 292, while Kevin De Bruyne sits second with 381, behind only Bernardo Silva.

The Belgian departed for Napoli in the summer having scored 108 goals and registered 177 assists for Man City, a high proportion of which were for Sterling.

As noted by Total Football Analysis, in the 2019/20 season, De Bruyne registered 20 Premier League assists, equaling Thierry Henry’s long-standing record, with 25% of these assists providing Sterling with a goal, underlining their exceptional combination play.

The midfielder himself stated that he and Sterling had a “strong connection”, making them unquestionably one of the most dangerous attacking partnerships in modern Premier League history, winning four league titles and seven other major trophies together.

With both having now moved on to pastures new, Guardiola is searching for his next great attacking partnership, seeking to feed a certain prolific striker, so does he boast the ideal two candidates?

Manchester City's new Sterling and De Bruyne

Now that Manchester City’s treatment room has begun to empty, Guardiola has plenty of options from which to choose, with eight players battling for the four spots alongside Håland.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

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Against Borussia Dortmund in mid-week, Tijjani Reijnders, Savinho, Jérémy Doku and scorer of a brace Phil Foden started, while Silva, Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki were all introduced during the second half, with Oscar Bobb left in reserve.

Nevertheless, ahead of Sunday’s blockbuster Premier League clash with Liverpool, Guardiola has to prioritise establishing Cherki and Doku as a partnership.

The 22-year-old Frenchman arrived from Olympique Lyonnais for £34m in the summer with a massive reputation.

Guardiola asserted that Cherki “is one of the most talented players I have ever seen in my career”, while Lyon teammate Ainsley Maitland-Niles labelled him “an absolute… wizard with the ball”.

So far, including the Club World Cup, Cherki has scored four goals in sky blue, on target against Wolves on his Premier League debut, subsequently netting against Swansea in the EFL Cup and Dortmund in the Champions League.

Doku meantime has been consistently one of the Premier League’s most prolific dribblers since first joining the club, as the table below highlights.

Doku – PL stats

Stats

PL rank 24/25

PL rank 25/26

Attempted take-ons

2nd

2nd

Successful take-ons

1st

2nd

Progressive carries

1st

1st

Carries into area

2nd

3rd

Assists

43rd

4th

Shot-creating actions

62nd

4th

Big chances created

54th

1st

Stats via FBref & Sofascore

As the table outlines, Doku is both a high-quality and high-volume dribbler, ranked behind only Mohammed Kudus when it comes to take-ons this season.

However, ten matches into this campaign, there are signs that the Belgian will exponentially increase his attacking output, seeing a vast increase when it comes to shot-creating actions and big chances created.

In 1,514 Premier League minutes last time round, he created only eight big chances and registered just six assists, while this season, in only 549 minutes, he has already racked up five big chances created and three assists, thereby very much on course to smash last season’s tally.

Former Tottenham captain Ledley King labelled Doku “dynamic”, adding that he “likes to attack on the outside” while, following a 5-1 win over Burnley, Guardiola described the winger as “unstoppable”, interestingly noting that “I have the feeling that Jérémy’s decision-making in the final third has improved​​​​​​​”.

Reportedly earning £50k-per-week and £180k-per-week respectively, both still aged 23 or under, there are signs that Doku and Cherki are both realising their true potential at Man City.

On paper, Cherki’s creativity and eye for a pass, coupled with Doku’s flair, pace and off-the-scale dribbling ability, has all the ingredients to replicate when De Bruyne and Sterling were able to produce for many years.

Thus, it is over to Guardiola to ensure this duo can flourish together, starting on Sunday when Liverpool visit the Etihad in a match not to be missed.

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Everton will surely feel smug about the number of top-drawer academy products they’ve managed to uncover.

The likes of Anthony Gordon and John Stones have the blue half of Merseyside to thank for kickstarting their Premier League careers, before Newcastle United and Manchester City beckoned, while Everton undoubtedly got more out of Dominic Calvert-Lewin than what was expected, after once picking him up as an 18-year-old prospect from Sheffield United.

71 goals would come Calvert-Lewin’s way across 273 games, but even he will know his rise to Toffees first-team glory pales into insignificance when weighed up next to Wayne Rooney’s remarkable ascent from teenage prodigy at Goodison Park to world-beater with Manchester United.

David Moyes was the boss who first gave Rooney a chance in the Everton senior mix at just 16 years of age, as the Scotsman now goes about assessing what promising youngsters he currently has at his disposal at the Hill Dickinson Stadium who could also go on to have an extensive career at the very top.

Everton's most promising youngsters right now

Many of the Everton U21s personnel right now will surely be dreaming of their Rooney moment in the spotlight under the Glaswegian.

Omari Benjamin could well feel he’s deserving of a first-team opportunity very soon, especially if Beto continues to fluff his lines on Merseyside, with the former Arsenal youth player turned rising star at the Toffees boasting two goals this season in Premier League 2 action.

Up to 12 goals in total now for the U21s, it only feels like a matter of time before the 19-year-old hotshot is handed some men’s minutes.

Other names catching the eye include Justin Clarke, who also boasts two goals himself this season in the Premier League 2, alongside 18-year-old Joel Catesby, who is more of a creative force than a goalscoring menace, having accumulated seven assists to date in both the U18 and U21 picture.

Moyes will have to err on the side of caution with some of these promising starlets, however, with the gap between youth football and the pressures of the Premier League a notoriously hard one to bridge.

That’s why the youth-focused boss will be over the moon with how well this other exciting youngster is doing out on loan away from Everton, as the Toffees potentially now have their best prospect since Rooney burst onto the scene.

Everton's biggest prospect since Rooney

The once wide-eyed number 18 would never look back after being slotted into the first team at just 16, with 17 goals and four assists tallied up for the Toffees during his first stint on the Merseyside, ending up being just the start of his unbelievable tale in the Premier League.

Harrison Armstrong will hope his current loan spell with Preston North End is a similarly memorable first chapter he can look back on in a few years time after he’s exploded in the Everton first-team set-up, with one Preston-based content creator already tipping him to have a “huge future” beyond Deepdale.

Armstrong has even picked up a Man of the Match accolade out on loan in Lancashire, too, with seven duels won across the course of his bruising 90 minutes, the sort of grit Preston needed to complete a 3-2 comeback win over Sheffield United on Friday night.

With three assists also next to his name in the Everton first-team picture, it’s clear that there’s a plausible pathway to the senior side for Armstrong under Moyes when this formative stint is complete, having also been previously dubbed a “first team regular in the making” at Everton by journalist Richard Buxton.

The bold claims don’t stop here, either, with another Preston-oriented voice also wildly stating that he “will play for England one day” long after his Championship journey is up.

After all, the likes of Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins must still be eternally grateful for their respective EFL educations, before they then went on to receive a Three Lions cap.

Everything is pointing in the direction of Armstrong being Everton’s brightest prospect since Rooney’s whirlwind moment, with it now being up to the 18-year-old to succeed with all this hype weighing down on him.

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Aston Villa have been dealt an injury concern ahead of their Premier League clash against Tottenham on Sunday, after the player himself had claimed he was fine.

The Villans have found form after a troublesome start to the campaign, winning four on the bounce in all competitions since the 1-1 draw away at Sunderland in September.

Still, there is concern over Unai Emery’s attacking systems and the lack of chances created so far this season, with striker Ollie Watkins searching for form and Morgan Rogers struggling to the point he was sarcastically cheered by his own fans for simply completing a pass in the match against Bologna.

Now, the Villans’ attacking depth has taken a further hit, as Watkins has been ruled out of England’s World Cup qualifier against Latvia.

The striker, who is surprisingly not one of Aston Villa’s highest earners on £130,000-a-week, suffered an injury during Thursday’s 3-0 win against Wales when he collided with the post as he attempted to score his second goal of the game. He continued until half-time but was taken off and replaced by Marcus Rashford.

After the game, he said he was “OK” as he limped through the mixed zone, but he has not recovered in time for Tuesday’s game in Riga and has returned to Villa for treatment in a bid to be fit for Sunday’s game at Spurs.

FA release Ollie Watkins statement before Latvia clash

A statement from the Football Association read: “Ollie Watkins has been ruled out of England’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Latvia.

“The Aston Villa striker has not recovered from the knock sustained against Wales at Wembley on Thursday evening and has returned to his club.

“A squad of 22 will travel to Riga.”

Captain Harry Kane is expected to return, having missed the Wales friendly with an ankle problem sustained playing for Bayern Munich last weekend. Kane has scored 19 goals in 12 games for club and country this season and will be fancying his chances of adding to his tally against the 137th-ranked side.

If the Bayern striker is not fit, then Anthony Gordon could lead the line as he did in the second half against Wales. Thomas Tuchel’s side will qualify for the 2026 World Cup if they win in the Latvian capital.

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They lead Group K with five wins from five and are yet to concede a goal, so the issue for Watkins seems to be of greater concern for his club than his country, with Emery already sweating over Tyrone Mings, Emi Buendia and Youri Tielemans ahead of the return of domestic football this weekend.

Republic of Ireland fans are basking in Troy Parrott’s heroics in World Cup qualification, with tickets to that event still up for grabs. A hat-trick from Parrott against Hungary has kept Irish eyes smiling, with a play-off berth being secured. Having become a national hero, at least for now, AZ striker Parrott is being billed as “better than Lionel Messi” after rewriting the history books.

Ireland stunned Portugal & red-carded Ronaldo

Ireland kept their World Cup dreams alive when stunning Portugal at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Parrott was also the saviour there, as he bagged a brace, with some headlines being stolen from Cristiano Ronaldo. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner saw red for swinging an elbow into Dara O’Shea.

Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side headed to Hungary knowing that only another win, when collecting a notable scalp, would be enough to keep them in contention for a place at FIFA’s flagship tournament next summer.

AdvertisementFans react to Parrott's hat-trick against Hungary

They fell behind on two occasions, but battled back to secure the most dramatic of victories. There were just 10 minutes left on the clock when Parrott netted his first of the game and restored parity. He then sparked wild scenes of celebration in the away end when poking home in the 96th minute.

The Puskas Arena was left stunned, with Ireland achieving what had looked impossible. Parrott, with five goals through his last two appearances, has now reached double figures for his country. He has Irish supporters in dreamland.

@SpreeCOD posted on social media: “Troy Parrott is better than Messi.” @antooconnell added: “Give Troy Parrott the freedom of Dublin tonight. What a player. Unreal. Ireland we’re still alive and we are so back.” @PhilAndrewPhoto went on to say: “Troy Parrott, 5 goals in two games, take down the Spire and put a 100 foot bronze statue of that man outside the GPO.”

Parrott has joined Messi in the record books by becoming the first Ireland player to score a hat-trick away from home in a senior international. That means the match ball that he will be taking home holds added significance.

Parrott enjoying international fairytale with Ireland

Former Tottenham striker Parrott, who moved to the Netherlands with AZ in 2024, told reporters after his stunning hat-trick in Budapest: “I said against Portugal that this is what dreams are made of, but I think tonight, I will never have a better night in my whole life. It is a fairytale. You can't even dream about something like that. I have no words to describe the emotions right now.”

Ireland boss Hallgrimsson, speaking to RTE, said: “We seemed to be nervous at the beginning, struggling with movements and defending too late and not aggressive enough. We put in everything and threw in three strikers in the end. The guys deserved what happened and congratulations to the Irish nation for having the guys.”

While making history with his hat-trick, Parrott has become the first player to bag a treble for the Republic of Ireland since all-time leading scorer Robbie Keane in October 2014 – who managed that feat against Gibraltar.

He is just the fourth Irish player to score two or more goals in back-to-back appearances. Keane is also on that list (from 2013), alongside Jimmy Dunne (1936) and Callum Robinson (2021).

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Getty2026 World Cup play-offs: Dates for draw & qualification fixtures

Ireland ended up finishing second in Group F behind Portugal – who booked their tickets to the 2026 World Cup when crushing Armenia 9-1 without suspended captain Ronaldo. The Irish pulled two points clear of Hungary with their last-gasp victory over qualification rivals. They only scored nine goals through six matches, with Parrott contributing significantly to the collective cause.

The play-offs will feature 12 runners-up from the UEFA section of qualification, along with the four best-placed UEFA Nations League group winners who failed to finish in the top two of their respective groups. The draw to determine play-off paths will take place at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland on November 20 – with the matches being held in late March, 2026.