New York (Lord Media): The 2026 FIFA World Cup has seen a surge in own goals during its initial 10 days, with seven own goals recorded so far, marking the second-highest tally in World Cup history. If the current trend continues, the 2018 record of 12 own goals could be surpassed.
Experts attribute the increase in own goals to the expansion of the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams and 104 matches. Paraguay’s Damian Bobadilla scored an own goal against the United States, while Australia’s Cameron Burgess also scored an own goal benefiting the U.S.
Switzerland’s Miro Muheim scored an own goal during injury time against Qatar, allowing Qatar to equalize. Qatar’s Mohammed Muntari scored against his own team in a 0-6 defeat to Canada.
Egypt’s Mohamed Hany, Iraq’s Ayman Hussein, and Jordan’s Yazan Al-Arab are also among the players who scored own goals. Ayman Hussein also scored for his team against Norway, becoming the third player in World Cup history to score for both sides in a single match.
In World Cup history, there have been a total of 61 own goals, with approximately 12 percent occurring in the current tournament. The first own goal was scored by Mexico’s Manuel Rosas in the 1930 World Cup.
