The 2026 FIFA World Cup is barely two weeks old, and defenders are already having a tournament they’d rather forget. Nine own goals have been scored so far, putting the competition on a collision course with the all-time record of 12, set during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
For context, the entire 2022 edition in Qatar produced just two own goals across the whole tournament. Nine in roughly 12 days is not a trend. It’s a phenomenon.
A growing list of unfortunate contributors
The United States, one of three co-hosts alongside Canada and Mexico, has been a direct beneficiary of the chaos. Paraguay’s Damián Bobadilla put the ball into his own net on June 12, gifting the Americans a goal they didn’t have to work for. Australia’s Cameron Burgess followed suit shortly after, making it back-to-back matches where the US profited from opposition defenders doing their job for them.
They weren’t alone in their misfortune. Switzerland’s Miro Muheim contributed an own goal on June 13. Egypt’s Mohamed Hany added another on June 15. Iraq’s Aymen Hussein joined the list on June 16.
