Hungary 2-3 Republic of Ireland: “This is why we love football” – Tears of joy after the famous Irish win

Having etched his name into the folklore of the Republic of Ireland, Troy Parrott has let the tears flow.

At the end of 72 straight hours, the attacker’s raw emotions were understandable. On Thursday, Parrott beat Cristiano Ronaldo by two goals to sink Portugal and take the Republic of Ireland to the final.

Carrying the nation’s hopes on his back in Budapest, the 23-year-old Dublin native rose to the occasion in stunning fashion.

Against Hungary, his penalty brought the Irish level after they fell behind to an early header from Daniel Lukacs. Then, after Barnabas Varga’s stunning strike, he equalized again with a deft touch 10 minutes from time.

The Republic of Ireland needed a win to qualify for the qualifiers, and after substitute Johnny Kenny was denied victory, Parrott seized the match-winning moment when he grabbed Liam Scales’ header, slotted the ball past Hungary and raced away in ecstasy in an emotional finale at the Puskas Arena.

The Alkmaar striker, who led the line in Ivan Ferguson’s absence, told RTE: “I’m really, really emotional. They’re tears of joy. What a night, what a night.”

“That’s why we love football, because things like this can happen. Look, I love where I come from, so this means the world to me. My family is here.

“It’s the first time I’ve cried in years too, I really can’t believe it. Everyone is crying.”

“I said against Portugal that this is what dreams are made of, but tonight, I don’t think I’ll have a better night in my entire life.

“It’s really a fairy tale. You can’t even dream of something like this. Honestly, I don’t have words to describe my feelings right now.”