By:
Conor Martin
Jubilant Ireland fans have called for fellow patriot Michael O’Leary to slash prices of flights to Hungary ahead of Sunday’s must-win World Cup qualifier.
Ireland fans high on the buzz of the Republic’s impressive 2-0 World Cup qualifier win over Portugal on Thursday night were soon brought back down to earth after they checked out how much a return flight to Budapest would cost with Ryanair.
Ireland were given next to no chance of beating Portugal going into a game where a loss would have shut the door on Ireland’s World Cup ambitions.
But Ireland tore up the script with Troy Parrott bagging a first-half brace as Ireland recorded a famous win in Dublin.
The result means an Irish win in Hungary will secure a play-off spot, and another possible permutation from this weekend’s game means there’s an outside chance Ireland can win the group.
Now that Ireland have something to play for going into their final World Cup qualifier, fans have taken to flight search websites looking for the best and cheapest routes to get to the Hungarian capital in time for Sunday’s game.
Airlines would have been monitoring the match, and it’s no surprise that the Irish “budget” airline Ryanair – which is run by Irishman O’Leary – has acted quickly in response.
However, instead of making flights cheap and affordable, they’ve sent prices between Dublin and Budapest through the roof.
How much will Ireland fans have to pay to fly to Budapest to watch crunch World Cup qualifier?
Ireland fans will have to break the bank if they want a last-minute Ryanair flight to Budapest from Dublin.
A 9am flight from the Irish capital on Saturday morning will set fans back €329.49, and a return flight on Monday morning at 6:10am is even dearer, costing €414.99; a return flight is a whopping €744.48.
There is also an option to fly out of Dublin on Saturday night at 7:05pm, which is currently priced at €371.24.
However, the above return option on Monday morning is the only option available to fans, as the evening flight is already sold out.
Why have Ryanair raised their flight prices in the wake of Ireland’s win?
Well, the reason for the sudden spike in prices is simple… supply and demand. However, that didn’t stop Ireland fans on Reddit from expressing their frustration at the price hike.
One user wrote, “Michael O’Leary and Ryanair have missed a trick here; surely lower fares and an extra flight either way would have been a win-win for all?”
Another added, “Typical, the first reason in a while for Ireland fans to be hopeful, and they get priced out by one of our national airlines.”
However, users on X were not so understanding of those complaining about the rise in prices, with one user saying, “€70 return. I got mine after we lost in Yerevan. f**k the bandwagon.”
Should being booked months ago. 240 return 3 months ago..let's not complain because of tonight result
— Richard Oxley (@RichardOxley86) November 14, 2025
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