If there is one player who will remember the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Round of 16 for good and bad reasons, it will be Spain’s Laia Codina. The Spaniard gift-wrapped an own goal to Switzerland to level the proceedings before half time. Fortunately for her, that own goal didn’t have much importance as Spain were leading 4-1 at halftime.

Codina gained possession of the ball shortly after crossing into her team's half, with minimal opposition, and opted to pass the ball back to her goalkeeper, Cata Coll. Regrettably, Codina didn't check Coll's position, and her pass curled into the net behind an unprepared Coll. This surprising turn of events left the majority of the Spanish players in a state of disbelief.

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If the Spanish players were in disbelief, social media platforms joined in. Former AAP journalist Ed Jackson wrote: “That was the (own) goal of the tournament right there. What a disaster for Spain. Just car crash stuff.”

Spain ran out 5-1 eventual winners and is now in the FIFA Women’s World Cup quarter-finals. We discussed the incredible Swiss defense in our preview, but it was a meaningless distraction for the Spaniards. Aitana Bonmati scored in the fifth minute before Codina equalized it for Suisse with an own goal. Alba Redondo put Spain in front again in the 17th minute before Bonmati scored the third.

Laia Codina was finally able to overcome the blushes of the 11th minute by scoring in the opposition net in the 45th minute. In the second half of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Round of 16, Jennifer Hermoso scored the fifth goal for Spain in the 70th minute to put the game beyond doubt.