Euro 2024 has captivated fans with thrilling matches and a flurry of goals, keeping the Golden Boot race fiercely competitive. While many teams boast diverse goalscorers, an unexpected statistic is dominating headlines: the sheer number of own goals. This year’s tournament is rapidly becoming defined by these unfortunate incidents, surpassing previous European Championship records.
Across the sixteen previous editions of the UEFA European Championship, a mere twenty own goals had been recorded in total. Remarkably, over half of these (eleven) occurred in the previous tournament held across Europe in 2021. However, Euro 2024 is on track to shatter this figure. Already, ten own goals have been scored, marking an astonishing rate of own goals in this edition.
Belgium's Jan Vertonghen reacts in despair after scoring a crucial own goal against France during their Euro 2024 match.
Record-Breaking Euros Own Goals: List of Shame
To fully illustrate the scale of this own goal phenomenon, here is a comprehensive list of the players who have inadvertently scored against their own team at Euro 2024:
| Match | Player | Nation | Own Goal Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groups round 1 | Antonio Rudiger | Germany | Scotland | GER 5-1 SCO |
| Groups round 1 | Maximiilian Wober | Austria | France | AUT 0-1 FRA |
| Groups round 1 | Robin Hranac | Czechia | Portugal | POR 2-1 CZE |
| Groups round 2 | Klaus Gjasula | Albania | Croatia | CRO 2-2 ALB |
| Groups round 2 | Riccardo Calafiori | Italy | Spain | ESP 1-0 ITA |
| Groups round 2 | Samet Akaydin | Turkey | Portugal | TUR 0-3 POR |
| Groups round 3 | Donyell Malen | Netherlands | Austria | NED 2-3 AUT |
| Round of 16 | Robin Le Normand | Spain | Georgia | ESP 4-1 GEO |
| Round of 16 | Jan Vertonghen | Belgium | France | FRA 1-0 BEL |
| Quarter-final | Mert Muldur | Turkey | Netherlands | NED 2-1 TUR |
This table underscores the widespread nature of these “Euros Own Goals,” impacting various teams across different stages of the tournament. From group stage mishaps to crucial knockout round errors, own goals have become an undeniable storyline of Euro 2024.
Historical Scarcity of Own Goals in European Championships
Interestingly, own goals were a rarity in the early decades of the European Championship. After the first own goal in 1976, an astonishing twenty-year gap followed before the second occurred in 1996. This stark contrast highlights the unusual frequency we are witnessing in the current tournament.
In terms of national misfortunes, Glen Johnson holds the unwanted distinction of being the sole England player to score an own goal at the Euros, doing so against Sweden in 2012. Conversely, England benefited from an own goal courtesy of Denmark’s Simon Kjaer in the Euro 2020 semi-final, demonstrating the unpredictable nature of these incidents and their potential impact on crucial matches.
As Euro 2024 progresses into the knockout stages from June 29th, culminating in the final in Berlin on July 14th, it remains to be seen whether this unprecedented trend of “euros own goals” will continue. One thing is certain: own goals have already etched their place into the narrative of this tournament, adding an unexpected layer of drama and misfortune for some teams.
