The 2026 FIFA World Cup has already produced eight own goals in just 10 days, the second-highest number in the tournament’s history.Only the 2018 World Cup in Russia saw more own goals, with 12 during the tournament. The 2026 edition has 48 teams and 104 games, with current numbers likely to increase further in the coming weeks.The latest own goal occurred on Sunday, when Saudi Arabian defender Hassan Tambakti scored in his own net during the team’s 4-0 loss to Spain.The U.S. has benefited from its own goals in both games so far. Paraguay’s Damian Bobadilla scored an own goal in the United States’ 4-1 win, while Australia’s Cameron Burgess added a goal of his own in a 2-0 loss to the hosts. As a result, the United States became the first team in the history of the Men’s World Cup to benefit from own goals in consecutive games.Bobadilla scored an own goal seven minutes into Paraguay’s loss to the United States. Swiss defender Miro Muhaim then scored an own goal to equalize the score for Qatar in stoppage time. Later, in the Qatar team’s 0-6 loss to Canada, Mohamed Mane scored the ball into his own goal and the Qatar team suffered an own goal.Egypt’s Mohamed Hani, Iraq’s Aymen Hussein and Jordan’s Yazan Al Arab also scored their own goals at this World Cup. Hussein also scored in the same game for Iraq against Norway, becoming one of only three players in World Cup history to score for both teams in a single match.Saudi Arabia’s Hassan Tambakti moved into the list after scoring his own goal against Spain on Sunday.There have been 62 own goals in World Cup history, nearly 12% of which occurred in the 2026 World Cup alone.The first own goal in a World Cup was scored by Manuel Rosas of Mexico in a 3-0 loss to Chile in the first World Cup in 1930. Rosas was 18 at the time.There has not been an own goal in five World Cups, the most recent being in 1990.The U.S. team’s two own goals this year have tied the record for the most own goals in a single World Cup. France also benefited from two own goals at the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.There are also two records for the most self-goals by a single team in a single World Cup, jointly held by Bulgaria in 1966 and Russia at the 2018 home World Cup.
