In the final European qualifier Group F match, Dominik Szoboszlai's Hungary needed only a draw at home against the Republic of Ireland. However, the outcome turned into a nightmare. Hungary led twice but allowed the Republic of Ireland to stage a comeback, securing a 3-2 victory in the 96th minute. With two additional points, the visitors climbed to second place, earning a playoff spot. The Liverpool midfielder expressed his anguish over the unbelievable result.

Milos Kerkez (left), Szoboszlai's teammate at Liverpool and for the Hungarian national team, shares the same fate. The 22-year-old left-back will now focus on regaining his form with the Anfield club.

Dusan Vlahovic's (right) Serbia finished third in European qualifier Group K, 11 points behind England and one point behind Albania. Their performance was a significant disappointment, including losses to England (0-2, 0-5) and Albania (0-1). Vlahovic scored only two goals in the remaining five matches, a tally not befitting a striker who has netted over 100 goals for Juventus and Fiorentina.

Serbia's elimination also means Aleksandar Mitrovic will miss his third consecutive World Cup. Fans express regret for the striker, who has scored 111 goals in 206 matches for Fulham, 68 goals in 79 matches for Al Hilal, and 63 goals in 104 appearances for the national team.

Slovenia finished third in European qualifier Group B, behind Switzerland and Kosovo. As a result, Jan Oblak, Atletico Madrid's number one goalkeeper, and Benjamin Sesko, the striker who recently joined Man Utd for 99 million USD, will both miss next year's major tournament.

With three points from six matches, Georgia currently sits third in European qualifier Group E, trailing Spain by 13 points and Turkey by 10 points. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (right), the star who recently won the Champions League with PSG, will not have the opportunity to display his intricate dribbling and speed at the World Cup.

Giorgi Mamardashvili is another star who has not yet found success with the Georgia national team. The 25-year-old goalkeeper shone for four years at Valencia before transferring to Liverpool last summer for nearly 40 million USD.

Victor Osimhen, the striker who scored 46 goals in 53 matches for Galatasaray over the past year, was unable to secure World Cup qualification for Nigeria. The "Super Eagles" finished second in African qualifier Group C, trailing South Africa. They began the playoff stage with a 4-1 victory over Gabon but were subsequently defeated by Congo 3-4 in a penalty shootout in the following match.

Bryan Mbeumo (left), the high-performing winger at Man Utd, was also unable to save Cameroon. After finishing second in African qualifier Group D, the "Indomitable Lions" suffered a 0-1 defeat to Congo in their initial playoff match.

By Ngoc Tuan

Photos: AP, Reuters, Sportsfile, Starsport