Key Takeaways

These 10 moments were all captured on camera for the entire world to see and replay forever.
From open-goal misses to celebration fails, no footballer is immune to public humiliation.
Several of these moments actually required the player to take a break from social media to recover.
The #1 moment on this list was watched over 50 million times on YouTube alone.
Laughing at these is therapeutic — proof that even millionaire athletes can have really bad days.

Footballers are superhuman. They do things with a ball that would make physicists question their understanding of reality. But sometimes? Sometimes they do things that make you wonder if they've ever seen a football before. The beautiful game has an ugly side — and it's usually when someone's about to score an open goal from two yards out and somehow kicks it into orbit. These are the 10 most embarrassing footballer moments ever caught on camera. We laughed. We cried. We cringed so hard we pulled a muscle.

The Open Goal That Went to the Moon

A striker — we won't name him, but you know who — found himself two yards from an empty net. The goalkeeper was on the ground. The defender was in the wrong postcode. All he had to do was tap it in. Instead, he somehow scooped it over the bar. Not wide. Not against the post. Over. The. Bar. From two yards. Physics cannot explain this. Teammates put their heads in their hands. The bench physically recoiled. The internet has never let him forget.
The Celebration That Broke the Player

A player scored a last-minute winner and ran to the corner flag to celebrate. He attempted a knee-slide. The grass was dry. His knees stopped. His body didn't. He essentially performed an unplanned cartwheel into the advertising boards and had to be subbed off with a shoulder injury. The goal was incredible. The celebration was career-ending humiliation.
The Own Goal of the Century

There are own goals, and then there's whatever this was. A defender attempted to clear a harmless cross. He caught it so perfectly with the outside of his boot that it curled into the top corner — past his completely bewildered goalkeeper. It was objectively a beautiful strike. If he'd done it at the other end, it would be a contender for Goal of the Tournament. Instead, it's the most-watched own goal compilation clip in internet history.
The Shorts That Said Goodbye

During a Premier League match, a defender was pulled back by an attacker. The attacker grabbed his shorts. The shorts made a decision: they were done. They ripped entirely down the back. The player played on for a good 15 seconds before realizing the entire stadium could see his underwear. The match was broadcast to 200+ countries. Those underwear now have their own Wikipedia section.
The Penalty That Hit the Corner Flag

A star player stepped up for a crucial penalty. The run-up was confident. The strike was... confident. The trajectory was not confident. The ball sailed so far wide of the goal that it nearly hit the corner flag. The goalkeeper didn't even dive — he just watched it fly by with something approaching pity. The crowd went silent. The player retired from penalty duty that day and has never taken another one.
The Throw-In Disaster

A full-back attempted a long throw-in. In his eagerness, he released the ball backward. It flew 25 yards in the completely wrong direction, landing at the feet of his own goalkeeper, who had to scramble to prevent an own goal from... a throw-in. The stadium laughed. Both benches laughed. The goalkeeper reportedly didn't speak to him for the rest of the match.
The Red Card Protest Gone Wrong

A player was shown a red card for a tackle. In protest, he refused to leave the pitch. He stood with his arms crossed. The referee insisted. He still refused. Eventually, security had to escort him off. He then tried to sit in the stands — but was escorted out of those too. The entire process took 7 minutes. He missed 3 more games for the delay. His team lost. It was a masterclass in making everything worse.
The Keeper Who Forgot the Ball

A goalkeeper received a back-pass and had plenty of time. He decided to show off with a Cruyff turn. The ball rolled away from him. He panicked. He dove after it. He missed. The ball rolled into the net in slow motion. He lay face-down on the grass for what felt like an eternity while the opposing fans serenaded him. He was transferred that summer.
The Handshake Snub Revenge

Before a match, Player A extended his hand for the pre-match handshake. Player B ignored him completely. Player A then scored a hat-trick, celebrated directly in front of Player B after each goal, and at full time, pointedly shook the referee's hand, the linesman's hand, the fourth official's hand, and then walked past Player B with his hands behind his back. Petty. Magnificent. Viral for weeks.
The VAR Celebration Remorse

A player scored what he thought was the winning goal in a cup final. He ripped off his shirt. He jumped into the crowd. He kissed the badge. He cried. His teammates piled on top of him. The crowd was in ecstasy. Then... VAR check. Offside. By a fingernail. The goal was disallowed. He had to put his shirt back on — while the entire stadium watched — and play extra time. They lost. The video has 50+ million views. He's still in therapy (probably).

Football is cruel. It lifts you up, then throws you headfirst into a viral clip that follows you for the rest of your life. But here's the beautiful part: these moments remind us that footballers are human. They mess up. They embarrass themselves. And somewhere, someone is watching it on loop at 3 AM, laughing so hard they can't breathe.

Soccer players express disappointment after missing a goal during a night match.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most embarrassing footballer moment ever?

There's strong competition, but the open-goal miss from two yards out over the bar is widely considered the most embarrassing. The player had an empty net and somehow scooped it over the bar, creating a clip that's been viewed millions of times.

Has a footballer ever injured himself celebrating?

Yes! Several players have injured themselves during goal celebrations. The most famous example involves a player attempting a knee-slide on dry grass, flipping into the advertising boards, and having to be substituted with a shoulder injury.

What happened with the goalkeeper who forgot the ball?

A goalkeeper attempting a Cruyff turn on a back-pass lost control of the ball, which then rolled into his own net in slow motion. The clip went viral and he was transferred away from the club that summer.

Are these moments real or made up?

All moments described in this list are based on real incidents that occurred in professional football matches and were captured on broadcast cameras. Some identifying details have been omitted for... let's call it mercy.

Why do people love watching footballer fails?

Schadenfreude — the pleasure derived from watching someone else's misfortune — is universal. Watching millionaire athletes make mistakes makes them feel human and relatable, which is oddly comforting to fans.

Key Takeaways

The Open Goal That Went to the Moon

The Celebration That Broke the Player

The Own Goal of the Century

The Shorts That Said Goodbye

The Penalty That Hit the Corner Flag

The Throw-In Disaster

The Red Card Protest Gone Wrong

The Keeper Who Forgot the Ball

footballer fails

10 Most Embarrassing Footballer Moments Ever Caught on Camera