FIFA World Cup 2022: What is an Olympic goal and how many have been scored at the World Cup?

The Olympic goal is a rarity in football and, as such, whenever one is scored it occupies a special place in the hearts of the fans who witnessed it.

While scoring a goal from a corner set piece is a very common occurrence, scoring one directly from a corner is far less frequent.

As you can probably guess from the name, the term Olympic goal has a direct relationship with the Olympic Games.

In order to find out about the origins of the Olympic goal you need to head back to Paris 1924, the last Olympics to have taken place in the French capital. During those Games, which doubled as a World Cup, Uruguay were crowned Olympic champions in the men’s football tournament.

Just a month after their victory they lined up against Argentina in a double header of friendlies. The second match, which took place in Buenos Aires, is the one that changed the history of football.

In the 15th minute, Argentina’s Cesáreo Onzari took a corner kick that flew directly into the Uruguayan net without anyone else touching it. It was the first goal of its type to be recorded in history.

At the time, the goal was named 'Onzari's goal against the Olympians', but eventually, this name was shortened to just 'Olympic goal'.

“As a tribute, or ironically, that rare thing was called the ‘Olympic goal’. And it still maintains that name on the few occasions it happens. Onzari spent the rest of his life swearing that the ‘Olympic goal’ had been on purpose and, while many years have passed, the mistrust continues: every time a corner kick hits the net with nobody touching it the public celebrates with an ovation - but they don’t believe it,” the famous author Eduardo Galeano wrote in his book 'Soccer in Sun and Shadow' in 1995.

How many Olympic goals have been scored in major competitions?

Olympic goals at the World Cup

Due to the complex nature of the Olympic goal, they have not featured frequently at the World Cup.

The only Olympic goal recorded in a men’s World Cup was scored by Colombia’s Marcos Coll at the 1962 edition in Chile.

Coll’s Olympic goal helped Colombia achieve a 4-4 draw in their first-round match against the Soviet Union. Even more impressive is the fact that the goalkeeper he scored that goal against was none other than Lev Yashin, who is still considered one of the greatest keepers to play the game. Although Coll never played at the Olympics, Yashin certainly did, winning the gold medal at the Melbourne 1956 Olympic Games.

Olympic goals at the Olympic Games

The world had to wait another half century before the Olympic goal lit up the stage that had given it its name.

The first Olympics in which an Olympic goal was scored was London 2012, when the USA’s Megan Rapinoe saw her corner nestle in the opposition’s net.

One of the biggest stars in women’s football, Rapinoe knows a thing or two about winning having been victorious in two World Cups (2015 and 2019) and medalled at two Olympic Games (gold at London 2012 and bronze at Tokyo 2020).

But her record of Olympic goals is unmatched by anyone. Of the two Olympic goals scored in Olympic history, Rapinoe has registered both.

The first was scored in the London Games, when the USA faced Canada at Old Trafford. The game ended 5-4 to Team USA as they progressed towards the Olympic gold they would eventually win.

The second was scored at Tokyo 2020, as Rapinoe graced the bronze medal match with a second Olympic goal as the USA beat Australia 4-3 to reach the Olympic podium.