Top 10 Craziest Football Goals Ever

#10: Jason Cundy vs. Ipswich Town

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Before Cundy had his career cut short by a knee injury, he played for sides like Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. And when the defender played for the latter in 1992, he faced a team he would later play for in Ipswich Town. Just inside The Tractor Boys’ half, Cundy slid in to make a tackle. Only, he went in with such velocity that the ball flew towards the Ipswich goal and over the dumbfounded keeper Craig Forrest. Speaking of tackles that created a confusing goal, Lamezia midfielder Domenico Zampaglione in Italy dived in for a strong challenge against a Tuttocuoio 1957 player. The ball sailed 75 yards, lobbing the poor keeper.

With the score nil-nil in a World Cup qualification match against El Salvador, winger Cyle Larin shrugged off poor tackles to whip in a cross toward Atiba Hutchinson. His diving header struck the post as the midfielder lay on the floor. The ball rebounded, hit the captain on the back of the head, flicked up, and gently fell into the net as keeper Kévin Carabantes watched on before making a desperate attempt to bat the ball away. The El Salvador players thought it was a goal-kick, but nope! It was delightfully given, and the confused Canadian team celebrated.

During a battle between MKE Ankaragücü and Beşiktaş in Turkey’s Süper Lig in 1986, ref Ahmet Akçay ended up accidentally leaving a mark. In a penalty box scramble, the ball was bouncing around as Ankaragücü players attempted to score. As one struck the ball against a Beşiktaş defender, it looked like it was going off-target. However, a bewildered Akçay for some reason was positioned at the back post. The ball struck him in the face as he seemingly attempted to duck, and it fell into the net. It’s about as strange as it gets.

After collecting a cross from Coventry City’s Gary McAllister, goalkeeper Shay Given threw the ball on the floor to initiate a quick counter-attack for his side. Only Dublin, who had walked off the pitch, was just behind Given. Seeing an opportunity on a silver platter, the striker darted in front and booted the ball into the empty net. This led to a running joke that Given is the only Irishman who doesn’t know where Dublin is. Ha!

#6: Ball Boy vs. Clube Atlético Sorocaba

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In a Paulista Football Federation Cup match, Clube Atlético Sorocaba was leading one-nil in the 89th minute against Associação Esportiva Santacruzense. One Santacruzense player took a shot that hit the side netting. As the ball boy was sorting out the balls for the goal-kick, he had a bit of a joke and passed one into the empty net. Well, referee Silvia Regina de Oliveira bizarrely gave the goal. Apparently, she listened to the assistant ref, who believed the shot that was missed had gone in! In the aftermath, the ref was suspended for her poor decision.

Playing for Manchester United against Chelsea, Antonio Valencia crossed the ball, beating the defenders and goalkeeper. With an open goal, Chicharito had to lean back since the pass was behind him. As he struck the ball while falling, it thundered against his face before it bounced into the empty net. Was Hernández embarrassed by the hilarious incident? Nope, he celebrated like he meant to do that.

As Liverpool’s Stan Collymore takes a half-hearted shot, it looks like an easy save for the keeper. But as he bent down to let the ball fall into his waiting hands, it had other ideas instead. A divot that Flowers had made for goal-kicks forces the ball upwards, lobbing the surprised goalkeeper as it lands in the net. A confused Collymore didn’t know whether to celebrate it or apologize.

In 2018, with the score at nil-nil and deep into injury time, a cross is swung into Everton’s box that’s cleared. Virgil van Dijk attempts to volley it but messes it up, causing the ball to float into the air and seemingly over the bar. Only it didn’t. Instead, the ball struck Jordan Pickford’s crossbar as the keeper tried to grab it. It then hits the bar once more before falling to Divock Origi, the only player who seemed to know what was going on, who proceeded to just nod the ball into an empty net.

As the corner came in for Leverkusen, their legendary striker Stefan Kießling headed the ball toward the goal. However, it struck the side netting. But because there was a hole in the net, the ball ended up inside the goal. While Kießling was annoyed at the miss, his teammates celebrated and Hoffenheim was frustrated at conceding another goal. Confused, the striker joined in with the hugs as the ghost goal was given.

Sometimes, the stars align, and weirdness happens on the pitch. As the cross came towards Darren Bent, he took the shot, which seemed like an easy save for Pepe Reina. Instead, the shot hit a beach ball from the crowd, wrongfooting the keeper as the ball fell into the back of the net, giving Sunderland the win. The year before, a similar incident happened in the Sheffield United versus Manchester City match. As the cross came in, a load of balloons littered the six-yard box. A befuddled Michael Ball missed the interception for City, letting the Blades’ Luton Shelton take advantage and score.