Own Goals Pile Up as 2026 World Cup Eyes a Record

One of the more unusual storylines emerging from the 2026 World Cup is happening at the wrong end of the pitch. According to Reuters, the tournament is on course to set a record for own goals, with several already logged inside the first ten days of competition.

Reuters highlights a string of costly blunders: Paraguay's Damián Bobadilla put through his own net within seven minutes against the United States, Australia's Cameron Burgess did the same as the US made it two wins from two in Group D, and Switzerland's Miro Muheim gifted Qatar a late equaliser deep into stoppage time. Qatar then found themselves on the receiving end when Mohamed Manai scored an own goal in a 6-0 loss to Canada.

The expanded 48-team format means more matches and, it seems, many more opportunities for defenders to become unwilling protagonists. With two thirds of the group stage still to play, the record looks firmly in sight.