Marco Rossi: “To beat Armenia, we’ll have to suffer for every meter of the pitch”

Hungary head coach Marco Rossi held a press conference in Yerevan ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifier against Armenia. The Italian coach emphasized that his team faces a tough challenge and warned against underestimating the Armenian side.

The only injury concern remains forward Donát Barany, who is still training individually.

During the press conference, Rossi expressed his respect for Armenia, praising their fighting spirit and ability to exploit open spaces:

“Armenia has proven to be a very difficult opponent — just remember their win over Ireland. It would be foolish to underestimate them. They have fast, technical players who punish mistakes immediately. We must play aggressively, press high, and give them no space. Only victory will keep us in the race for the World Cup. I’m sure we’ll have to suffer for three points, but the team is motivated and ready to fight,” said Rossi.

Defender Milos Kerkez also spoke about the Armenian team’s strong mentality:

“They’re a very united team, real fighters. Every player gives everything for his teammate, and you can feel that. I’m glad that Barnabás Varga and Roland Sallai are back — their presence gives confidence to the whole squad,” said the Liverpool player.

The Armenia vs. Hungary match will take place on Thursday at Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium in Yerevan. Kickoff is at 9:00 PM local time. The match will be officiated by José María Sánchez from Spain.

In Group standings, Hungary are second with 5 points, trailing Portugal (10). Armenia are fourth with 3 points, while Ireland sit third with 4.