Russia centre-back Sergei Ignashevich gifted Spain the opening goal on 12 minutes during their FIFA World Cup 2018 Round of 16 match in Moscow when he unwittingly turned the ball into his own net after grappling with Sergio Ramos. Without realising it is an own-goal, Spain captain Ramos started celebrating, thinking he had given the 2010 champions the lead against the hosts. Ramos celebrated wildly, aggressively pointing to his chest and then dived into the corner on his knees. After FIFA declared it as an own goal, Ramos’ expression, he didn’t even touch the ball, were caught by cameras.
Twitter also started trolling Ramos’ animated celebration on an own goal.
Only Sergio Ramos is dumb enough to celebrate an opponent's own goal by passionately pointing to himself.#ESPRUS #worldcup
— sagar_culé (@sagarssshinde) July 1, 2018
Only Sergio Ramos is dumb enough to celebrate an opponent's own goal by passionately pointing to himself.#ESPRUS #worldcup
— sagar_culé (@sagarssshinde) July 1, 2018
So @SergioRamos will leave the world cup without a goal but with an own goal celebration.😂😂#Ramos #ESP #ESPRUS #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/cXIiVGSfxw
— Hossain Shahadat (@mr_shjoy) July 1, 2018
It was announced that it was an own-goal by Ignashevich, making the Russian defender the oldest player to score an own-goal at the World Cup.
The record had been held by Honduras goalkeeper Noel Valladares who scored in his own net in the 2014 World Cup match against France at the age of 37 years and 43 days.
This was the best performance by Russia since the breakup of the Soviet Union. The best performance by the Soviet Union was a fourth place finish in 1966 when they lost 1-2 to the then West Germany in the semi-finals.