Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai turned in a masterclass performance on Tuesday evening, scoring and assisting to captain Hungary to a spirited 3-1 comeback victory over Kazakhstan in a friendly in Debrecen.
While the night belonged to Szoboszlai’s talismanic leadership, it also proved to be a historic milestone for Anfield’s emerging youth ranks. Highly-rated Liverpool goalkeeper Armin Pecsi came off the bench just past the hour mark to earn his senior international debut for Hungary, capping off a stellar evening for the Reds’ contingent.
Meanwhile, Liverpool left-back Milos Kerkez was rested and not named in the matchday squad for the friendly.
Captain’s display: Szoboszlai inspires second-half turnaround
Hungary found themselves in a difficult position at half-time, trailing to an organized Kazakhstan side. However, Szoboszlai took the game by the scruff of the neck after the break, showcasing the exceptional form that has seen him register an incredible five goals and three assists in his last five international appearances.
The Liverpool No. 8 dragged his country level with a sharp, instinctive close-range finish after ghosting into the box to meet a low cross.
Not content with just getting on the scoresheet, the Hungarian captain then turned provider. Executing a clever short free-kick routine, Szoboszlai teed up Andras Schafer, who unleashed a spectacular, curling strike from distance into the top corner to put Hungary ahead and pave the way for the 3-1 win.
While Szoboszlai will agonizingly miss out on the upcoming World Cup due to Hungary’s failure to qualify, his unrelenting work rate and elite output for his national team remain incredibly encouraging for those on Merseyside.
A dream milestone for academy starlet Armin Pecsi
The match took on extra significance for Liverpool fans in the 21-year-old goalkeeper Armin Pecsi. The youngster earned his first senior cap for Hungary, entering the fray as a substitute with just under thirty minutes left to play.
Born in Hainburg an der Donau in Austria, Pecsi chose to represent Hungary at the youth level and has now formally graduated to the senior stage. His debut is the culmination of a rapid rise that began during a breakout 2024–25 season with Puskas Akademia, where he helped the club secure a second-place finish in the Hungarian top flight and earned a prestigious Golden Boy award nomination.
Since completing his move to Liverpool in the summer of 2025, Pecsi has quietly gone about making a massive impression. He featured for the first team in a pre-season friendly against Athletic Club, became a foundational pillar for Liverpool’s U21 side, and was nominated for the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award in January 2026.
Learning from the best at the AXA Training Centre
Stepping up to senior international football is a major leap, but Pecsi credit his rapid development to the elite environment fostered at Liverpool’s AXA Training Centre. The young shot-stopper regularly trains alongside world-class senior options, including Alisson Becker and Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Pecsi has spoken openly about his immense admiration for Liverpool’s Brazil No. 1, describing Alisson as the blueprint for modern goalkeeping.
Speaking to club media, Pecsi raved about the Brazilian maestro:
“Every detail of him is so perfect and is the same every time. He makes things look so easy – and this is the hard part, to learn this and to make this happen on the pitch.”
“He’s a really nice guy and it’s good to see him in training – same with Giorgi [Mamardashvili] and Freddie [Woodman] because all of them are a little bit different. They’re all top, top goalkeepers. From everyone you can learn from something.”
With new Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola preparing for his first pre-season at the helm, Pecsi’s international debut comes at the perfect time. The 21-year-old is expected to get ample opportunity to catch Iraola’s eye during the summer schedule as he looks to permanently cement his place in senior training environments.
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eeing Dominik Szoboszlai maintain such an elite, goalscoring level of form is incredibly reassuring. Even without World Cup football on his horizon this summer, his elite mentality and refusal to take his foot off the gas underpins exactly why he is so vital to Iraola’s tactical plans going forward.
However, the real fairytale story here is Armin Pecsi. To break into the senior international setup as a 21-year-old goalkeeper is incredibly rare and speaks volumes about his ceiling. Training daily with Alisson and Mamardashvili is clearly accelerating his development.
With Liverpool blocking Alisson’s potential exit to Juventus, Pecsi has the absolute perfect mentor to keep learning from. If he carries this momentum into pre-season, Iraola might just find he has a future star already waiting in the ranks.
