FIFA World Cup Trivia Questions & Answers (2026)
47+ World Cup trivia questions covering history, host nations, legendary players, and shocking moments. From Uruguay 1930 to the expanded 2026 tournament. Tap any question to reveal the answer.
Updated throughout the 2026 tournament (USA, Canada and Mexico, 11 June – 19 July). New World Cup games published every day while the tournament runs.
World Cup 2026 runs 11 June – 19 July — Football IQ publishes World Cup-themed games every day of the tournament, free in your browser.
Play Today's World Cup GamesAnswers checked as of 11 August 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 Spotted something out of date?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.
World Cup History
The FIFA World Cup began in 1930 and has grown into the world's most-watched sporting event. From the inaugural tournament in Uruguay to the expanded 48-team format in 2026, test your knowledge of the basics.
Easy
Which country has won the most FIFA World Cup titles?+
Brazil with 5 World Cup wins: 1958 (Sweden), 1962 (Chile), 1970 (Mexico), 1994 (USA), and 2002 (Japan/South Korea).
In which year was the first FIFA World Cup held, and which country won it?+
The first World Cup was held in 1930, hosted by Uruguay. Uruguay won the tournament, beating Argentina 4-2 in the final.
Which country won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar?+
Argentina, beating France 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw (including extra time). Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball.
Who is the all-time top scorer in World Cup history?+
Kylian Mbappe of France with 22 goals — 4 in 2018, 8 in 2022 and a Golden Boot-winning 10 in 2026. He passed Lionel Messi (21) and Miroslav Klose, whose 16 goals across 2002 (5), 2006 (5), 2010 (4) and 2014 (2) had been the record since 2014.
How many teams compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?+
48 teams, expanded from 32 for the first time in World Cup history. The 2026 tournament is hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
How often is the FIFA World Cup held?+
Every four years. The tournament was not held in 1942 or 1946 due to World War II.
Medium
Which is the only country to have participated in every FIFA World Cup?+
Brazil have qualified for and competed in all 23 World Cups from 1930 to 2026 — the only nation with a 100% qualification record. Germany are next on 21 appearances, then Argentina on 19.
Which country won the World Cup on home soil in 1966?+
England, who beat West Germany 4-2 after extra time at Wembley. Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick — one of only two ever scored in a World Cup final, matched 56 years later by Kylian Mbappe for France against Argentina in 2022.
What was the 'Battle of Santiago' in the 1962 World Cup?+
A notoriously violent match between Chile and Italy on 2 June 1962. Two Italians were sent off and both sides brawled throughout. Chile won 2-0.
In which year did Germany suffer the 'Miracle of Bern', winning the World Cup as underdogs?+
1954. West Germany beat Hungary 3-2 in the final despite Hungary being considered one of the greatest teams ever assembled. Hungary had beaten West Germany 8-3 in the group stage.
Which tournament saw the first use of penalty shootouts to decide World Cup matches?+
The 1982 World Cup in Spain. The first ever World Cup shootout was the semi-final between West Germany and France.
Hard
Which World Cup had the highest total goals scored across the tournament?+
The 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, with a record 308 goals across 104 matches under the new 48-team format. Qatar 2022 holds the record for a 32-team tournament with 172 goals in 64 matches. Switzerland 1954 still has the best average — 140 goals in 26 matches, 5.38 per game.
Which referee was responsible for the 1966 World Cup final, in which Geoff Hurst's 'ghost goal' crossed the line?+
Gottfried Dienst of Switzerland was the referee. Linesman Tofik Bakhramov confirmed the goal crossed the line, though debate continues to this day.
Who are the only two nations to have hosted the World Cup twice?+
Mexico is the only nation to have hosted three times (1970, 1986 and as a 2026 co-host). Five nations have hosted twice: Italy (1934, 1990), France (1938, 1998), Brazil (1950, 2014), Germany/West Germany (1974, 2006) and the United States (1994, 2026).
Think you know players from their international careers?
Play Career PathHost Nations
Hosting the World Cup is one of the greatest honours in international football. Test your knowledge of the countries that staged football's biggest show.
Easy
Which continent has hosted the most World Cup tournaments?+
Europe, with 11 tournaments: 1934 (Italy), 1938 (France), 1954 (Switzerland), 1958 (Sweden), 1966 (England), 1974 (West Germany), 1982 (Spain), 1990 (Italy), 1998 (France), 2006 (Germany) and 2018 (Russia). South America has hosted five, North America three on its own plus the 2026 co-hosted edition, Asia three and Africa one — Qatar 2022 was in Asia.
Which was the first African nation to host the World Cup?+
South Africa hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup — the first on the African continent.
Which Asian nations co-hosted the 2002 World Cup?+
Japan and South Korea co-hosted the 2002 World Cup — the first tournament held in Asia and the first co-hosted by two nations.
Which city hosted the 2014 World Cup final?+
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil at the Estadio do Maracana. Germany beat Argentina 1-0 with a Mario Gotze goal in extra time.
Medium
Which stadium hosted both the 1986 World Cup final and a notorious crowd disaster?+
Reframe as 'Which stadium has hosted two World Cup finals?' — The Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, the only ground to stage two: the 1970 final (Brazil 4-1 Italy) and the 1986 final (Argentina 3-2 West Germany). It also hosted the opening match of the 2026 tournament, making it the only stadium used at three World Cups.
Which three countries will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup?+
The United States, Canada, and Mexico will co-host the 2026 World Cup — the first to be hosted by three nations, and the first with 48 teams.
Which host nation suffered the biggest defeat in World Cup history on home soil?+
Brazil's 7-1 defeat to Germany in the 2014 semi-final at Belo Horizonte's Estadio Mineirao — known in Brazil as the 'Mineirazo'.
Hard
Which city has hosted World Cup matches in three different tournaments?+
Two cities have done it, both Mexican: Mexico City (1970, 1986, 2026) and Guadalajara (1970 and 1986 at the Estadio Jalisco, 2026 at the Estadio Akron). Monterrey has hosted at two tournaments (1986 and 2026).
The 2022 World Cup was controversial for being held in which month, and why?+
November-December, instead of the traditional June-July. This was due to Qatar's extreme summer heat, disrupting all domestic leagues worldwide.
Which host nation in 1978 won the World Cup amid political controversy?+
Argentina under a military junta hosted and won the 1978 World Cup. There were allegations that their 6-0 win over Peru was arranged to secure the goal difference needed to reach the final.
Legendary Players
The World Cup has been the stage for football's greatest players to write their legacies. From Pelé to Maradona to Messi — test your knowledge of the icons who defined their tournaments.
Easy
Which player is widely regarded as the greatest World Cup performer ever, winning it three times?+
Pelé of Brazil won three World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970) and remains the only player to do so. He was 17 when he scored in his first final.
Who scored the 'Hand of God' goal at the 1986 World Cup?+
Diego Maradona scored with his hand in Argentina's quarter-final against England, then scored the 'Goal of the Century' in the same match.
Which player won the 2022 World Cup Golden Ball as player of the tournament?+
Lionel Messi of Argentina won the Golden Ball, capping his career with his first World Cup winner's medal.
Ronaldo (the Brazilian) scored how many World Cup goals in his career?+
Ronaldo Nazario scored 15 World Cup goals — 4 in 1998, 8 in 2002 (Golden Shoe) and 3 in 2006. He was in Brazil's 1994 winning squad aged 17 but never came off the bench. His 15 goals were the all-time record from 2006 until Miroslav Klose passed him in 2014.
Which player was the first to score in four different World Cup tournaments?+
Pele and Uwe Seeler were the first, both scoring in four tournaments and both completing the feat at the 1970 World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo has since gone further: in 2026 he became the first player to score in six different World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026). Lionel Messi has scored in five (2006, 2014, 2018, 2022, 2026).
Medium
Who scored the fastest hat-trick in World Cup history?+
Laszlo Kiss of Hungary, who came off the bench against El Salvador at the 1982 World Cup and scored in the 69th, 72nd and 76th minutes — a hat-trick in seven minutes, the fastest in World Cup history. Hungary won 10-1, and Kiss remains the only substitute ever to score a World Cup hat-trick.
Which player is the oldest to score at a World Cup?+
Roger Milla of Cameroon scored aged 42 years and 39 days against Russia at the 1994 World Cup — a record that still stands.
Who won the Golden Boot (top scorer) at the 2018 World Cup in Russia?+
Harry Kane of England with 6 goals, including three penalties.
Which player won three consecutive World Cup Golden Balls (player of the tournament)?+
No player has ever won three consecutive Golden Balls. Recent winners: Oliver Kahn in 2002 — the only goalkeeper to win it, with Ronaldo taking the Golden Shoe that year — Zinedine Zidane in 2006, Lionel Messi in 2014 and 2022, and Rodri in 2026. Messi is the only two-time winner.
Who scored the 1,000th goal in World Cup history?+
Rob Rensenbrink of the Netherlands, from the penalty spot against Scotland on 11 June 1978 at the 1978 World Cup — the goal credited as the 1,000th in World Cup history.
Hard
Which player scored a hat-trick in the 1966 World Cup final?+
Geoff Hurst of England, in the 4-2 win over West Germany. His was the only hat-trick in a World Cup final for 56 years, until Kylian Mbappe scored three for France against Argentina in the 2022 final — the only two in the competition's history.
Which goalkeeper went the longest without conceding a goal across a single World Cup tournament?+
Walter Zenga of Italy went 517 minutes without conceding in the 1990 World Cup before Argentina's Claudio Caniggia ended his run.
Can you guess World Cup legends from clues about their careers?
Play Career PathShocking Moments
The World Cup has produced some of the biggest upsets in sporting history. From North Korea beating Italy to Germany's humiliation at home, these shocks defined their tournaments.
Easy
Which nation caused one of the biggest World Cup upsets by eliminating Italy in 1966?+
North Korea beat Italy 1-0 in the group stage at the 1966 World Cup in England — one of the greatest upsets in football history.
Which World Cup semi-final is known as the 'Mineirazo' or 'Belo Horizonte Disaster'?+
Germany's 7-1 defeat of host nation Brazil in the 2014 semi-final. Germany scored 5 goals in 18 minutes.
Which African team reached the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in 2022?+
Morocco became the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final in 2022, beating Portugal in the quarter-finals.
Which nation pulled off the biggest World Cup upset of 2022 by beating Argentina in the group stage?+
Saudi Arabia beat Argentina 2-1 in the group stage at the 2022 World Cup — one of the all-time great upsets.
Medium
Which nation knocked out defending champions France in the 2002 World Cup group stage?+
Senegal beat France 1-0 in the opening match, and France were eliminated in the group stage without scoring a goal.
What happened to Spain, the defending champions, at the 2014 World Cup?+
Spain were eliminated in the group stage, losing 5-1 to the Netherlands and 2-0 to Chile before a dead-rubber 3-0 win over Australia. They finished third in Group B on 3 points, behind the Netherlands (9) and Chile (6) and ahead of pointless Australia — four years after winning the 2010 tournament.
Which giant-killing performance by Cameroon at Italia '90 shocked football?+
Cameroon beat Argentina — the defending champions — 1-0 in the opening match. They reached the quarter-finals, the furthest any African team had gone at the time.
USA's win over England at the 1950 World Cup is considered the biggest upset of that era. What was the score?+
The USA beat England 1-0 at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. The goal was scored by Joe Gaetjens in the 37th minute.
Hard
Which World Cup saw the lowest-ranked team reach the semi-finals?+
Croatia (then relatively unknown) reached the semi-finals of the 1998 World Cup in their first World Cup appearance, finishing third.
The 1950 World Cup had no final — how was the winner decided?+
A four-team final round robin. Uruguay beat Brazil 2-1 in the last match, which effectively served as the final. Brazil only needed a draw to win the tournament.
Which player scored for both teams in the same World Cup match in 1978?+
Ernie Brandts of the Netherlands scored an own goal and then a regular goal in the same match against Italy at the 1978 World Cup group stage.
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