The 2026 FIFA World Cup has already produced eight own goals in just 10 days of the tournament, the second-highest total in the tournament’s history.Only the 2018 World Cup in Russia saw more, with 12 own goals recorded during the tournament. With the 2026 edition featuring 48 teams and 104 matches, the current number could increase further in the coming weeks.The latest own goal came on Sunday when Saudi Arabia defender Hassan Al Tambakti deflected the ball into his own net during his side’s 4-0 defeat by Spain.The United States have benefited from their own goals in both meetings so far. Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla scored an own goal in the USA’s 4-1 win, while Australia’s Cameron Burgess scored an own goal in a 2-0 loss to the hosts. As a result, the United States became the first team in men’s World Cup history to benefit from back-to-back own goals.Bobadilla scored an own goal within seven minutes of Paraguay’s loss to the United States. Swiss defender Miro Muheim then scored an own goal that tied Qatar in stoppage time. Later, Qatar scored an own goal when Mohamed Manai deflected the ball into his own net during a 6-0 rout of Canada.Egypt’s Mohamed Hany, Iraq’s Aymen Hussein and Jordan’s Yazan Al-Arab also scored their own goals in the tournament. Hussein also scored for Iraq in the same game against Norway to become one of only three players in World Cup history to score for both teams in one game.Hassan Al Tambakti of Saudi Arabia joined the list with his own goal against Spain on Sunday.In the history of the World Cup, 62 own goals have been recorded, and almost 12 percent of them came only in the 2026 championship.The first own goal at the World Cup was scored by Mexico’s Manuel Rosas during a 3-0 loss to Chile at the inaugural 1930 World Cup. Rosas was 18 years old at the time.Five editions of the World Cup ended without a single own goal, and the last one was in 1990.The two own goals awarded to the United States this year already tied the record for most own goals by one team in a single World Cup. France also benefited from two own goals in the 2014 and 2018 tournaments.The record for most own goals scored by one team in one World Cup is also two, jointly held by Bulgaria in 1966 and Russia at the 2018 World Cup on home soil.
