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Missing XI Quiz: Name the Missing Player

18 famous starting line-ups, each with one player taken out. Name the missing player, then tap the line-up to see the answer and what they did in the match. Line-ups run goalkeeper first, then defenders, midfielders and forwards.

How these were checked: every line-up was compared name by name with the line-up table in the match's Wikipedia article and with a second record of the match, and each answer's goals, substitutions and other details were checked against the same pages. Second sources: Camp Nou 1999, Istanbul 2005, Moscow 2008, Rome 2009, Munich 2012, Madrid 2019, Wembley 1966, Lisbon 2004, Johannesburg 2010, Rio 2014, Wembley 2021, Lusail 2022, Wembley 1988, Anfield 1989, Highbury 2004, Cardiff 2006, City v QPR 2012, Leicester v Everton 2016.

Answers checked as of 3 November 2026. Records, transfer fees and appearance tallies change as football is played. Every answer here was verified against sources on or after that date. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.

Champions League finals

Six Champions League finals involving English clubs, from Manchester United at the Camp Nou in 1999 to Liverpool in Madrid twenty years later. Suspensions reshaped several of these teams, so the hard questions are about the players who filled those gaps rather than the ones on the posters.

Easy2 questions

Barcelona's starting XI in the 2009 Champions League final against Manchester United in Rome, 27 May 2009: Valdés; Puyol, Touré, Piqué, Sylvinho; Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta; ___, Eto'o, Henry. Who is missing?

Lionel Messi. Barcelona won 2–0: Samuel Eto'o scored in the 10th minute and Messi made it two on 70 minutes, looping a header over Edwin van der Sar from Xavi's cross.

Liverpool's starting XI in the 2019 Champions League final against Tottenham Hotspur in Madrid, 1 June 2019: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; ___, Firmino, Mané. Who is missing?

Mohamed Salah. He scored from the penalty spot in the second minute, after Moussa Sissoko handled Sadio Mané's pass. Substitute Divock Origi added the second on 87 minutes in a 2–0 win.

Medium2 questions

Liverpool's starting XI in the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan in Istanbul, 25 May 2005: Dudek; Finnan, Carragher, Hyypiä, Traoré; Luis García, Gerrard, ___, Riise; Kewell, Baroš. Who is missing?

Xabi Alonso. Milan led 3–0 at half-time. After goals from Steven Gerrard and Vladimír Šmicer, Alonso had a penalty saved by Dida and scored the rebound to make it 3–3. Liverpool won the shoot-out 3–2.

Manchester United's starting XI in the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea in Moscow, 21 May 2008: Van der Sar; Brown, Ferdinand, Vidić, Evra; ___, Scholes, Carrick, Ronaldo; Rooney, Tevez. Who is missing?

Owen Hargreaves. He started on the right of midfield in place of Park Ji-sung, who was left out of the squad, and scored with United's fourth kick in the shoot-out, which they won 6–5 after a 1–1 draw.

Hard2 questions

Manchester United's starting XI in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich at the Camp Nou, 26 May 1999: Schmeichel; Neville, Johnsen, Stam, Irwin; Giggs, Beckham, Butt, ___; Yorke, Cole. Who is missing?

Jesper Blomqvist. With Roy Keane and Paul Scholes suspended, David Beckham moved into central midfield, Ryan Giggs went to the right and Blomqvist started on the left. Teddy Sheringham replaced him in the second half and scored the stoppage-time equaliser before Ole Gunnar Solskjær's winner.

Chelsea's starting XI in the 2012 Champions League final against Bayern Munich in Munich, 19 May 2012: Čech; Bosingwa, David Luiz, Cahill, Cole; Mikel, Lampard, Kalou, Mata, ___; Drogba. Who is missing?

Ryan Bertrand. He started on the left of midfield in place of the suspended Ramires, and became the first player of the Champions League era to make his debut in the competition in a final. Chelsea drew 1–1 and won the shoot-out 4–3.

Starting XI, in the Football IQ app, works the same way: name the hidden players in a famous line-up.

World Cup and Euros finals

Six international finals, from England at Wembley in 1966 to Argentina in Qatar in 2022. Each XI is the side that started the match, not the squad people remember, and that matters when a warm-up injury or a change of formation altered the team on the day.

Easy2 questions

England's starting XI in the 1966 World Cup final against West Germany at Wembley, 30 July 1966: Banks; Cohen, J. Charlton, Moore, Wilson; Stiles, Ball, B. Charlton, Peters; Hunt, ___. Who is missing?

Geoff Hurst. He scored a hat-trick in the 4–2 win after extra time, the first ever scored in a World Cup final. Martin Peters got England's other goal.

Argentina's starting XI in the 2022 World Cup final against France in Lusail, Qatar, 18 December 2022: Martínez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Enzo Fernández, Mac Allister; Messi, Álvarez, ___. Who is missing?

Ángel Di María. Ousmane Dembélé fouled him for the penalty Lionel Messi scored to open the scoring, and he made it 2–0 himself on 36 minutes, finishing a counter-attack. Argentina won on penalties after a 3–3 draw.

Medium2 questions

Greece's starting XI in the Euro 2004 final against Portugal in Lisbon, 4 July 2004: Nikopolidis; Seitaridis, Kapsis, Dellas, Fyssas; Katsouranis, Zagorakis, Basinas; ___, Vryzas, Giannakopoulos. Who is missing?

Angelos Charisteas. He headed in Angelos Basinas's corner on 57 minutes for the only goal of the final, giving Greece their first European Championship.

England's starting XI in the Euro 2020 final against Italy at Wembley, 11 July 2021: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire; ___, Phillips, Rice, Shaw; Sterling, Kane, Mount. Who is missing?

Kieran Trippier. He replaced Bukayo Saka as England switched to three at the back, and his cross from the right set up Luke Shaw's goal after 1 minute 56 seconds, the earliest in a European Championship final. Italy equalised and won 3–2 on penalties.

Hard2 questions

Germany's starting XI in the 2014 World Cup final against Argentina in Rio de Janeiro, 13 July 2014: Neuer; Lahm, Boateng, Hummels, Höwedes; ___, Schweinsteiger, Kroos; Müller, Klose, Özil. Who is missing?

Christoph Kramer. He was drafted in when Sami Khedira was injured in the warm-up, then went off in the first half with a head injury. His replacement, André Schürrle, crossed for Mario Götze's extra-time winner.

Spain's starting XI in the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands in Johannesburg, 11 July 2010: Casillas; Ramos, Piqué, Puyol, ___; Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi; Iniesta, Villa, Pedro. Who is missing?

Joan Capdevila. The left-back scuffed a side-footed shot from close range early in the second half and was one of five Spain players booked. Andrés Iniesta's goal in the 116th minute won the final 1–0.

English football classics

Two title deciders, an unbeaten season's last day, a trophy day and two FA Cup finals. Several of these teams were changed by suspension or a one-off formation, which is why the hard questions catch out people who know the club's usual side.

Easy2 questions

Manchester City's starting XI at home to Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the 2011–12 Premier League season, 13 May 2012: Hart; Zabaleta, Kompany, Lescott, Clichy; Nasri, Touré, Barry, Silva; Tevez, ___. Who is missing?

Sergio Agüero. Trailing 2–1 in stoppage time, City equalised through Edin Džeko, then Agüero scored the winner from Mario Balotelli's flick at 93 minutes 20 seconds. It won City their first top-flight title in 44 years.

Arsenal's starting XI against Leicester City at Highbury on 15 May 2004, the last game of their unbeaten Premier League season: Lehmann; Lauren, Touré, Campbell, Cole; Ljungberg, Gilberto, ___, Pirès; Bergkamp, Henry. Who is missing?

Patrick Vieira. Paul Dickov's header put Leicester ahead and Thierry Henry equalised from the penalty spot, before Vieira scored the winner from Dennis Bergkamp's pass. Arsenal finished the season with 26 wins, 12 draws and no defeats.

Medium2 questions

Wimbledon's starting XI in the 1988 FA Cup final against Liverpool at Wembley, 14 May 1988: Beasant; Goodyear, Young, Thorn, Phelan; ___, Jones, Wise; Cork, Fashanu, Gibson. Who is missing?

Lawrie Sanchez. His looping header from Dennis Wise's free kick on 37 minutes was the only goal of the final. Dave Beasant later saved John Aldridge's penalty, the first penalty saved in an FA Cup final.

Liverpool's starting XI in the 2006 FA Cup final against West Ham United in Cardiff, 13 May 2006: Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Hyypiä, Riise; Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Sissoko, Kewell; Crouch, ___. Who is missing?

Djibril Cissé. West Ham led 2–0 before he met Steven Gerrard's ball into the box to make it 2–1. Gerrard then scored twice, the second in stoppage time, to force extra time at 3–3, and Liverpool won the shoot-out 3–1.

Hard2 questions

Arsenal's starting XI against Liverpool at Anfield on 26 May 1989, the title decider at the end of the First Division season: Lukic; Dixon, O'Leary, Adams, Bould, Winterburn; Thomas, Rocastle, ___, Merson; Smith. Who is missing?

Kevin Richardson. In stoppage time he intercepted a John Barnes run and passed back to John Lukic, starting the move that ended with Michael Thomas's goal. The 2–0 win gave Arsenal the title on goals scored.

Leicester City's starting XI against Everton at the King Power Stadium on 7 May 2016, the day they were presented with the Premier League trophy: Schmeichel; Simpson, ___, Morgan, Fuchs; Mahrez, King, Kanté, Albrighton; Okazaki, Vardy. Who is missing?

Marcin Wasilewski. He started in place of the suspended Robert Huth, while Andy King came in for the suspended Danny Drinkwater. Jamie Vardy scored twice and King once in a 3–1 win.

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