2026 World Cup Sees High Number of Own Goals

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has already produced eight own goals just 10 days into the tournament, the second-highest total in tournament's history. Only the 2018 World Cup in Russia has seen more, with 12 own goals recorded during the tournament. With the 2026 edition featuring 48 teams and 104 matches, the current number could rise further in the coming weeks.

The latest own goal came on Sunday when Saudi Arabia defender Hassan Al Tambakti turned the ball into his own net during his side’s 4-0 defeat to Spain.

The United States have benefited from own goals in both of their matches so far. Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla scored an own goal during the USA’s 4-1 win, while Australia’s Cameron Burgess put through his own net in a 2-0 defeat to the co-hosts. As a result, the United States became the first team in men’s World Cup history to benefit from own goals in consecutive matches.

Bobadilla’s own goal came inside seven minutes of Paraguay’s defeat to the United States. Switzerland defender Miro Muheim then scored an own goal that gave Qatar a stoppage-time equaliser. Later, Qatar were on the receiving end of an own goal when Mohamed Manai turned the ball into his own net during a 6-0 loss to Canada. Egypt’s Mohamed Hany, Iraq’s Aymen Hussein and Jordan’s Yazan Al-Arab have also scored own goals in the tournament.

Hussein also scored for Iraq in the same match against Norway and became one of only three players in World Cup history to score for both teams in a single game. Saudi Arabia’s Hassan Al Tambakti joined the list with his own goal against Spain on Sunday.

There have now been 62 own goals in World Cup history, with nearly 12 per cent of them coming in the 2026 tournament alone. The first own goal at a World Cup was scored by Mexico’s Manuel Rosas during a 3-0 defeat to Chile in the inaugural tournament in 1930. Rosas was 18 years old at the time. Five World Cup editions have ended without a single own goal, the most recent being in 1990.

The two own goals awarded in favour of the United States this year have already matched the record for the most own goals benefiting one team in a single World Cup. France also benefited from two own goals in both the 2014 and 2018 tournaments. The record for the most own goals scored by a single team in one World Cup is also two, held jointly by Bulgaria in 1966 and Russia at the 2018 World Cup on home soil.