Approaching the 20 minute mark in the Spain v Croatia game, there hadn’t been much to write home about in what was expected to be an exciting Round of 16 match up.
Then came a moment that will haunt Unai Simon for the rest of his international career, which may prove fleeting if his concentration lapses again.
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With the ball up by the halfway line, Pedri’s back pass, whilst firmly hit, just needed Simon to trap the ball and play it out to the opposite side of the pitch.
Clearly, already thinking ahead, the custodian took his eye off of the ball and allowed it to go past him and into the goal.
There’s a record in here somewhere… #EURO2020 https://t.co/M7hUPUBXOg
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) June 28, 2021
It was one of the most bizarre own goals you’re ever likely to see. It was also the ninth own goal of the 2020 tournament.
When you consider that there were only a total of nine own goals from the 1960 tournament to the 2016 competition, it’s no wonder that the Guinness World Records Twitter account decided to have a cheeky bit of fun at Spain’s expense.