Yassine Bounou, the Moroccan goalkeeper better known as Bono, just did something no keeper has managed since FIFA started tracking the stat in 1966. He saved four penalties in a single World Cup tournament. And because this is 2026, the internet responded the only way it knows how: by launching a memecoin.
A Solana-based token trading under the ticker $Bono appeared on decentralized exchanges almost immediately after Bounou’s record-setting performance, with no official connection to the player, his club Sevilla FC, or any of his sponsors. Welcome to the intersection of world-class goalkeeping and degenerate crypto speculation.
The saves that broke the record
Bounou’s most dramatic stop came on July 9, 2026, during the quarter-final against France. The man standing over the ball was Kylian Mbappe, arguably the most dangerous penalty taker on the planet. Bounou dove the right way and kept it out.
That save pushed his career World Cup penalty record to a staggering seven saves from nine attempts, with only two goals conceded. In English: he stops nearly 78% of the penalties he faces in World Cup play, a rate that would make most keepers weep into their gloves.
