16 days to the World Cup: Karim Benzema's own goal helped changed the tournament for good
The 2014 World Cup marked the introduction of goal-line technology, which was first utilized during a match between France and Honduras. Karim Benzema's performance in that game included a controversial own goal that contributed to the technology's debut. As the 2026 World Cup approaches, this moment is highlighted as a significant development in the tournament's history.
- ▪The 2014 World Cup was the first to use goal-line technology.
- ▪Karim Benzema scored two goals in the match against Honduras, with one being credited as an own goal.
- ▪The match ended with France defeating Honduras 3-0.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
{"@context":"http://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/article/16-days-to-the-world-cup-karim-benzemas-own-goal-helped-changed-the-tournament-for-good-120000824.html","headline":"16 days to the World Cup: Karim Benzema's own goal helped changed the tournament for good","datePublished":"2026-05-26T12:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-26T12:00:00.000Z","keywords":["Karim Benzema","2026 World Cup","Noel Valladares","Honduras","2014 World Cup","goal-line technology","Les Bleus"],"description":"In 2014, Honduras goalkeeper Noel Valladares' scramble at the goal line led to the first use of a brand-new technology.","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Yahoo…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Yahoo Sports.