From unfortunate deflections to legendary missteps – a look at football’s unluckiest scorers
Scoring an own goal is every defender’s nightmare. Whether it’s a mistimed clearance or pure bad luck, some players have made a habit of sending the ball into their own net more than once. Based on available historical records and match statistics, here’s a countdown of the players with the most own goals in football history.
10. Frank Sinclair – 6 Own Goals
By Ingy The Wingy – Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7495207
The former Chelsea and Leicester defender was infamous for awkward defensive moments. One of his most memorable own goals came in a Leicester shirt when he misjudged a backpass to his goalkeeper.
By @cfcunofficial (Chelsea Debs) London – Chelsea 2 Stoke 1 4 April 2015, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39431451
Known for his no-nonsense defending at Stoke City, Shawcross was unlucky with several deflections, including a header off his own face from a Benrahma corner against Brentford.
By Andrea Sartorati – Manchester – Old Trafford – Manchester United vs Crawley Town, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18119399
A decorated Manchester United player, Brown had a few costly moments, including one while playing for Sunderland against his old club, turning in a header past his own keeper.
7. Jonny Evans – 6 Own Goals
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Evans, another United academy graduate, had a habit of scoring own goals in high-profile matches, including gifts to Chelsea, Spurs, and Liverpool.
6. Phil Jagielka – 7 Own Goals
By Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=70789873
While capable of scoring stunning goals, Jagielka also netted seven times at the wrong end, the last being in 2021 for Sheffield United.
5. Jamie Carragher – 7 Own Goals
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The Liverpool legend scored more own goals than he did actual goals in his career. Famously scored two own goals in a single match against Manchester United at Anfield.
By CFCUnofficial (Chelsea Debs) – Chelsea 1 lLiverpool 0 (2-1 agg) Capital One Cup semi final 2nd leg On our way to Wembley!, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=121830179
The hard-hitting Slovakian managed to score four own goals in a single Premier League season (2013/14) — a record only matched by Lewis Dunk.
3. Riccardo Ferri – 8 Own Goals
An Italian stalwart who played for Inter and Sampdoria, Ferri shares the Serie A own goal record. Despite that, he was praised by Marco van Basten as a world-class defender.
2. Franco Baresi – 8 Own Goals
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One of the greatest defenders ever, Baresi’s own goals did not tarnish his legacy. He played 532 matches for AC Milan and won six league titles and three European Cups.
1. Richard Dunne – 10 Own Goals
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Holding the all-time record, Dunne scored 10 own goals during his career. Notably, half of them came in the final 15 minutes of matches, often at critical moments. His last came in 2014 for QPR against Liverpool.
