Hungary clinched a dramatic 1-0 win over Scotland in stoppage time at the European Championship on Sunday, dashing Scotland’s hopes of advancing to the knockout stage for the first time in its history.
Kevin Csoboth, a late substitute, netted his first international goal in the 10th minute of stoppage time, securing Hungary third place in Group A, trailing behind Germany and Switzerland.
The match was marred by a serious injury to Hungary forward Barnabás Varga midway through the second half. Varga was hospitalized and is expected to need surgery after fracturing several bones in his face. As a result, he will miss the remainder of the tournament, should Hungary advance to the round of 16 as one of the four best third-place teams. This determination will be made after the final round of group games concludes on Wednesday.
“It was terrible. Was a terrible moment to see Barnabás like that,” Hungary midfielder Roland Sallai said. “Fortunately, he’s in a much better condition … We cross our fingers for him, that he can return quickly.
“Naturally, it was a terrible incident. Of course, we were fighting for him in the remaining 15-20 minutes, and we would have liked to win for him and we were very happy we could achieve that. And yes, this we dedicate to him.”
Varga’s injury occurred after a collision with Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn. His teammates used blankets to shield him as medical staff attended to him, and both sets of fans applauded when he was stretchered off after a delay of around 10 minutes.
Germany topped Group A after securing a late goal to draw 1-1 against Switzerland.
Scotland was eliminated, finishing last in the group with just one point from a draw against Switzerland. They were previously defeated 5-1 by Germany in the Euro 2024 opener.
The Scottish players were incensed by a late penalty appeal being dismissed when Stuart Armstrong was brought down by Willi Orbán, but Argentinian referee Facundo Tello did not award a penalty.
“100% penalty. Somebody somewhere has to explain to me why that’s not a penalty,” Scotland coach Steve Clarke said. “It’s 100%. And like I say, it’s a one-goal game, we get a penalty, can be a different night. I’ve got other words, but I’m not going to use them.
“European competition might have been better to have a European referee, but we had European VAR. And maybe the referee didn’t see the challenge clearly on the pitch so what’s the purpose of the VAR if they’re not going to come in on something like that. It was a penalty.”
Despite both teams needing a win in Stuttgart, scoring opportunities were scarce.
Scotland controlled possession but struggled to break down Hungary’s defense. Hungary began to find their rhythm and nearly took the lead four minutes before halftime. Willi Orbán’s header from a Dominik Szoboszlai free kick hit the crossbar, although it might have been ruled offside.
At halftime, Scotland had 64% possession but no attempts on goal, while Hungary had five.
Scotland’s first shot came in the 53rd minute, but Ché Adams’ effort sailed over the bar.
Csoboth was substituted in the 86th minute and quickly made an impact, hitting the far post from a tight angle.
In the chaotic 10 minutes of stoppage time, both goalkeepers made crucial saves before Csoboth scored the winning goal. He initiated a counterattack, passed to an unmarked Roland Sallai, and then received the return pass to slot the ball into the near corner, igniting celebrations among Hungary’s players and fans.
The Scottish players were left dejected.
“Tonight and for a long time we have to get over this,” Scotland captain Andy Robertson told the BBC. “It’s a tough one. It’s devastating. All the lads are absolutely gutted. I will say thank you to all the supporters; sorry for letting you all down.”
