Riccardo Calafiori becomes only the second Italian player to score an own goal in a major tournament. | OneFootball

Riccardo Calafiori’s own-goal in Gelsenkirchen which ensured that Spain would qualify for the Round of 16 as Group B winners, was only the second time that an Italian player has put through his own net in major tournament history.

The 22-year-old, making only his second appearance at full international level, inadvertently diverted a cross from Spain’s Nico Williams, via an Alvaro Morata glancing header, into his own net on 55 minutes to join Cristian Zaccardo, who scored an own-goal in the 2006 World Cup against the USA.

After the final whistle, his Italian team-mates were quick to console the young defender, who had an outstanding game on matchday one against Albania.

Calafiori will now hope that his unfortunate mistake will ultimately be a good omen, just like Zaccardo’s 18 years ago when the Azzurri went on to lift the World Cup in Berlin.

Calafiori and the rest of the squad must now regroup for what promises to be an nervous final match showdown against Croatia in Leipzig on Tuesday.

Steve Michell | GIFN