In the 13th minute, a shocking incident occurred. Fernandes, a defender who came through the club's academy, received the ball on the right wing with little pressure. Instead of playing it safe, he decided to pass it back to goalkeeper Diogo Costa with a single touch.
His mistake was not checking his teammate's position. The powerful back pass headed straight for the goal, with Costa positioned off-center. The ball rolled quickly past the Porto goalkeeper's reach, leaving him helpless as he watched it enter the net. Several home players collapsed onto the field, stunned by the unexpected goal.
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Martim Fernandes's own goal during the Porto vs. Nottingham draw at Dragao Stadium, Porto, Portugal, in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals on 9/4/2026. *Photo: screenshot*
Nottingham players celebrated as if they had scored a legitimate goal, while Fernandes stood motionless. The 20-year-old defender hung his head, looking distraught, as if he wished to disappear from the pitch. This was the first own goal of his career, a stark contrast to the only goal he had scored for Porto in a victory against Gil Vicente in 1/2026.
Major news outlets worldwide widely reported this own goal, accompanied by comments such as "bizarre", "inexplicable", and "dramatic". According to Goal, Fernandes's own goal came from a distance of 36 m, making it one of the longest in European Cup history. The Daily Mail called it the "worst own goal in history".
However, many fans argued that there have been more comical and worse own goals, such as Lee Dixon's during Arsenal's match against Coventry in 1991, or Vincent Kompany's in the Man City vs. Fulham game in 2013. Vietnam also saw an own goal from La Xuan Thang in the Cong An Ha Noi vs. An Giang match in 1997.
Fernandes's nightmare did not end there. Just three minutes after the own goal, he collapsed on the field after a collision and required medical attention. Despite attempting to continue, the young defender could not last long. In the 19th minute, he limped off the pitch to sympathetic glances from the crowd, concluding a forgettable six minutes in his career.
Fernandes, 20, is a highly-rated young talent at Porto, having represented Portugal's youth national teams up to the U21 level. He has also played 48 matches for Porto's first team.
Fernandes's own goal inadvertently decided the match, as the 1-1 scoreline remained until the final whistle. Before this, Porto had completely dominated the game, while Nottingham appeared confused and outplayed. Goalkeeper Stefan Ortega was a rare bright spot for the visiting team with 7 saves.
Hoang An (according to Athletic)
