The 2026 FIFA World Cup has already produced eight own goals just 10 days into the tournament, the second highest total in the 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 increase 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 rout of Spain.The United States have benefited from their goals in both of their games so far. Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla scored an own goal during the United States’ 4-1 win, while Australia’s Cameron Burgess netted in a 2-0 defeat of the co-hosts. As a result, the United States became the first team in men’s World Cup history to score back-to-back goals.Bobadilla’s own goal came seven minutes into Paraguay’s defeat of the United States. Swiss defender Miro Muheim then scored an own goal that gave Qatar the equalizer in stoppage time. Later, Qatar was 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 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 match.Saudi Arabia’s Hassan Al Tambakti joined the list with his own goal against Spain on Sunday.Now there have been 62 own goals in the history of the World Cup, with almost 12 percent of them coming only in the 2026 tournament.The first own goal in a World Cup was scored by Mexico’s Manuel Rosas during a 3-0 defeat of Chile in the inaugural tournament in 1930. Rosas was 18 years old at the time.Five editions of the World Cup have ended without a single goal, the most recent being in 1990.The two own goals awarded in favor of the United States this year already tied the record for the most own goals that benefited a 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 a single team in a World Cup is also two, jointly held by Bulgaria in 1966 and Russia at the 2018 World Cup at home.
