2026 World Cup logs eight own goals in 10 days, sets to shatter record

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has already produced the second-highest number of own goals in the tournament’s history, with eight recorded just 10 days into the competition.

The tally leaves the expanded tournament on course to challenge the all-time record of 12 own goals set at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

With the 2026 edition featuring 48 teams and 104 matches, the current figure is expected to rise as the tournament progresses.

Saudi Arabia’s Hassan Altambakti scored the latest own goal in his country’s 4-0 defeat to Spain on Sunday.

The United States have benefited the most from the trend so far, with Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla and Australia’s Cameron Burgess both scoring own goals in matches against the co-hosts.

Other players who have inadvertently found the back of their own net include Switzerland’s Miro Muheim, Qatar’s Mohamed Manai, Egypt’s Mohamed Hany, Iraq’s Aymen Hussein and Jordan’s Yazan Al-Arab.

Hussein’s own goal came in a match against Norway, where he also scored for Iraq, making him only the third player in World Cup history to score at both ends in the same game.

According to tournament statistics, there have now been 61 own goals in FIFA World Cup history, with the eight recorded so far in 2026 accounting for nearly 13 per cent of the total.

The first own goal at a World Cup was scored by Mexico’s Manuel Rosas during the inaugural tournament in 1930.

Five editions of the competition, including Italy 1990, were completed without a single own goal being recorded.

With many matches still to be played, the 2026 World Cup could surpass the record set eight years ago and establish a new benchmark for own goals in the tournament’s history.(AFP)