The final whistle blew. Another loss for Hungary, this time a tight 3-2 at home against Portugal in a 2026 World Cup qualifier. Coach Marco Rossi faced the press with a mix of frustration and stark realism. He had just seen his side concede a late goal, mere moments after finding an equalizer.
Rossi didn’t mince words about their opponents. He believes Portugal stands as one of the world’s strongest teams. “We played against one of the toughest sides out there,” he stated. “They are right at the top of Europe, alongside Spain. You’d be hard-pressed to find others as strong, maybe Brazil or Argentina. They’re definitely in the top five globally.” He added that a loss to a team of Portugal’s caliber is simply “part of the game.”
This defeat meant Hungary hadn’t secured a win in their recent qualifying matches. Rossi quickly addressed this point, though he admitted he no longer follows what commentators say. “We’ve played two games and dropped three points,” he explained. He recalled the previous match against Ireland, suggesting the team “didn’t lose two points due to our own mistakes.” Instead, he pointed the finger at the referee, advising everyone to “check his decisions from start to finish.”
The coach then circled back to the formidable challenge Portugal presented. He highlighted the vast difference in resources. “Today, we lost 3-2 to Portugal, a team worth a billion euros!” he exclaimed. “They have three or four players in the top 30 for the Ballon d’Or. You see the massive clubs they play for.” He then delivered a memorable line about the sheer talent gap. “I am not Jesus Christ, and neither are my players. He’s the one who performs miracles.” Rossi emphasized that Hungary simply doesn’t have the same depth. “Portugal can change all eleven starters, and nothing changes for them,” he noted, underlining the immense challenge his squad faces.