FIFA World Cup Quiz: 50 Questions on World Cup History

Which country has won the most FIFA World Cups?

✅ Brazil (5 times)

💡 Brazil won in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002 — making them the most successful nation in World Cup history.

In which country was the first FIFA World Cup held?

✅ Uruguay (1930)

💡 Uruguay hosted and won the inaugural World Cup in 1930, beating Argentina 4–2 in the final in Montevideo.

Who is the all-time top scorer in World Cup history?

✅ Miroslav Klose (16 goals)

💡 German striker Miroslav Klose scored 16 World Cup goals across 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014 tournaments.

Which team won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar?

✅ Argentina

💡 Argentina beat France on penalties after a dramatic 3–3 draw in the final. Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick for France.

England's only World Cup victory came in which year?

✅ 1966

💡 England beat West Germany 4–2 at Wembley in the 1966 final. The iconic "They think it's all over — it is now!" moment came from that match.

Which player won the Golden Ball award at the 2022 World Cup?

✅ Lionel Messi

💡 Messi won the Golden Ball for the second time (also won in 2014), capping his World Cup journey with Argentina's triumph in Qatar.

Germany beat Brazil 7–1 in the semifinal of which World Cup?

✅ 2014 (in Brazil)

💡 The infamous "Mineirazo" at the Estádio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte stunned the football world. Germany went on to win the tournament.

How many times has Italy won the World Cup?

✅ 4 times (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)

💡 Italy are four-time champions. Their most recent title came in 2006 in Germany, where they beat France on penalties.

Who scored the first ever World Cup hat-trick?

✅ Bert Patenaude (USA, 1930)

💡 American striker Bert Patenaude scored a hat-trick against Paraguay in the 1930 World Cup — the first in tournament history.

Which goalkeeper holds the record for most World Cup clean sheets?

✅ Peter Shilton (England, 10 clean sheets)

💡 Peter Shilton kept 10 clean sheets in 17 World Cup appearances for England across 1982, 1986, and 1990 tournaments.

Which country hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup?

✅ Russia

💡 Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup across 12 stadiums in 11 cities. France won the tournament, beating Croatia 4–2 in the final.

Who holds the record for most goals in a single World Cup tournament?

✅ Just Fontaine (13 goals, France, 1958)

💡 Just Fontaine scored 13 goals for France in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden — a record that has stood for over 65 years.

What is the maximum number of minutes in a World Cup final (including extra time but not penalties)?

✅ 120 minutes

💡 World Cup knockout matches have 90 minutes of normal time, plus 2 × 15 minutes of extra time = 120 minutes before going to penalties.

Which nation holds the record for the most World Cup appearances without winning?

✅ Mexico

💡 Mexico has appeared in 17 World Cups but has never progressed past the quarter-finals. They reached the QF in 1970 and 1986.

The "Hand of God" goal was scored by which player?

✅ Diego Maradona (Argentina, 1986)

💡 Maradona's controversial goal against England in the 1986 quarter-final was scored with his hand. In the same match, he also scored the "Goal of the Century."

Which World Cup was the first to use VAR (Video Assistant Referee)?

✅ 2018 World Cup in Russia

💡 VAR was used for the first time at a senior World Cup in Russia 2018, helping referees make decisions on goals, penalties, and red cards.

France beat which team in the 2018 World Cup final?

✅ Croatia

💡 France beat Croatia 4–2 in the 2018 final in Moscow. The match included an own goal, a penalty, and a stunning long-range goal from Kylian Mbappé.

How old was Pelé when he won his first World Cup?

✅ 17 years old (1958)

💡 Pelé remains the youngest World Cup winner in history. He was 17 years and 249 days old when Brazil lifted the trophy in Sweden.

Which country has hosted the World Cup the most times?

✅ Mexico (1970 and 1986)

💡 Mexico has hosted the tournament twice and will co-host again in 2026 alongside the USA and Canada.

Who scored the winning penalty in the 2006 World Cup final shootout?

✅ Fabio Grosso (Italy)

💡 Italian defender Fabio Grosso slotted the decisive penalty to beat France after Zinedine Zidane's infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi.

Which striker scored a hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final?

✅ Kylian Mbappé (France)

💡 Mbappé's extraordinary hat-trick — including two goals in the final minutes — made the final the most dramatic in World Cup history, but France still lost on penalties.

What is the name of the official World Cup trophy presented since 1974?

✅ FIFA World Cup Trophy (formerly the Jules Rimet Trophy)

💡 The current trophy is solid 18-carat gold. The original Jules Rimet Trophy was retired in 1970 when Brazil won it for the third time.

Which African country has performed best at a World Cup?

✅ Morocco (semifinal, 2022)

💡 Morocco became the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals in 2022, beating Belgium, Spain, and Portugal along the way.

How many teams competed in the 2022 FIFA World Cup?

✅ 32 teams

💡 The 2022 World Cup had 32 participating teams. The 2026 edition will expand to 48 teams for the first time.

Who won the Golden Boot (top scorer) at the 2018 World Cup?

✅ Harry Kane (England, 6 goals)

💡 Harry Kane finished as the tournament's top scorer with 6 goals, including a hat-trick against Panama, winning the Golden Boot.

Which goalkeeper famously saved multiple penalties to help their team win the World Cup?

✅ Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, 2022)

💡 Martínez (known as "Dibu") saved penalties from Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouaméni in the final shootout against France.

Germany reached the final of how many consecutive World Cups from 1982–1990?

✅ 3 consecutive finals (1982, 1986, 1990)

💡 West Germany reached the World Cup final three times in a row, losing in 1982, losing again in 1986, then winning in 1990 against Argentina.

In which city did Spain beat the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup final?

✅ Johannesburg, South Africa (Soccer City)

💡 Andrés Iniesta scored the winning goal in extra time at Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, to give Spain their first World Cup title.

What did the host nation Uruguay do in the 1950 World Cup final match against Brazil?

✅ Won it — the "Maracanazo"

💡 Uruguay beat Brazil 2–1 in the final match at the Maracanã, silencing 200,000 Brazilian fans in what became known as the "Maracanazo."

Who was awarded the Best Young Player award at the 2022 World Cup?

✅ Enzo Fernández (Argentina)

💡 Young Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernández won the Best Young Player award after impressive performances throughout the 2022 tournament.

Which country was banned from the 1950 World Cup and has never returned since?

✅ Germany (West Germany returned in 1954)

💡 Both Germany and Japan were excluded from the 1950 World Cup due to WWII. West Germany returned in 1954 and immediately won it.

What was the score in the longest World Cup final in history (2022)?

✅ 3–3 after extra time (Argentina won on penalties)

💡 The 2022 final is considered the greatest World Cup final ever. Argentina led 2–0 before Mbappé's hat-trick levelled it at 3–3 in extra time.

How many goals were scored in total at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France?

✅ 171 goals

💡 The 1998 World Cup in France featured 64 matches with 171 goals — an average of 2.67 per game. France won that tournament.

Which future World Cup winner was eliminated by the USA in the 1950 World Cup group stage?

✅ England

💡 England lost 1–0 to the USA in one of the biggest upsets in football history. England went on to have their only World Cup win in 1966.

In which city is the FIFA World Cup trophy kept when not on display?

✅ Zurich, Switzerland (FIFA headquarters)

💡 The original FIFA World Cup Trophy resides at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich. The winning nation receives a gold-plated replica.

Which two brothers appeared on opposite sides in the 1998 World Cup final?

✅ No famous brothers — but in 2014, players from the same academies faced off

💡 This is a common trick question. While many quiz nights claim brothers played in a final, no direct sibling matchup occurred in a World Cup final.

How many editions of the FIFA World Cup have been held from 1930 to 2022?

✅ 22 tournaments

💡 The World Cup has been held every 4 years since 1930, with the exceptions of 1942 and 1946 (cancelled due to World War II) — totalling 22 editions to 2022.

Which team scored the fastest goal in World Cup history?

✅ Hakan Şükür (Turkey) — 11 seconds vs South Korea, 2002

💡 Turkish striker Hakan Şükür scored after just 11 seconds in the third-place play-off match against South Korea in 2002 — the fastest goal ever at a World Cup.

Which European team has won the most World Cups?

✅ Germany and Italy (4 each)

💡 Both Germany and Italy have won 4 World Cups. Germany: 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014. Italy: 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006.

Where will the 2026 FIFA World Cup be held?

✅ USA, Canada and Mexico (co-hosted)

💡 The 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico — the first ever three-country World Cup. 48 teams will participate.

Who won the Best Goalkeeper award (Golden Glove) at the 2022 World Cup?

✅ Emiliano Martínez (Argentina)

💡 Martínez won the Golden Glove for his heroics throughout the tournament, including the final penalty shootout against France.

Which player has appeared in the most FIFA World Cup matches?

✅ Lionel Messi (26 matches)

💡 Messi appeared in 26 World Cup matches across five tournaments (2006–2022), surpassing Lothar Matthäus's previous record of 25.

Which nation won the 1994 World Cup on penalties in the USA?

✅ Brazil (beat Italy 3–2 on penalties)

💡 The 1994 final was goalless after 120 minutes. Brazil beat Italy in the shootout. It is the only World Cup final to end 0–0 after extra time.

Who scored the "Rabona" goal against Nigeria in the 2018 World Cup?

✅ Marcos Rojo (Argentina)

💡 Actually Rojo scored a regular shot. The most famous technical goals that year were a chip and long-range efforts — always verify flair goals in quizzes!

What number shirt did Zinedine Zidane famously wear?

✅ Number 10 (France)

💡 Zidane wore the iconic number 10 shirt for France, scoring two headers in the 1998 final against Brazil to win the World Cup on home soil.

Which South American country besides Brazil and Argentina has won the World Cup?

✅ Uruguay (1930, 1950)

💡 Uruguay won the first World Cup in 1930 and won again in 1950, beating Brazil in the famous "Maracanazo" in Rio de Janeiro.

How many yellow cards does it take for a player to be suspended for one World Cup match?

✅ 2 yellow cards

💡 Receiving 2 yellow cards in the group stage or round of 16 results in a one-match ban. Cards are often cleared at the quarterfinal stage.

Which World Cup had no penalty shootouts in the entire tournament?

✅ 1930 World Cup (no shootouts — extra time only)

💡 Penalty shootouts were not introduced to the World Cup until 1978. Before that, replays or coin tosses were used to separate tied teams.

In 2010, which animal famously predicted World Cup match results and became an internet sensation?

✅ Paul the Octopus (Germany)

💡 Paul the Octopus correctly predicted 8 out of 8 matches in the 2010 World Cup, including the final. He became a global celebrity before his death later that year.

Which player scored a famous backheel goal in the 2006 World Cup?

✅ Robinho (Brazil) / Henrik Larsson — but the most famous is Zinedine Zidane's Panenka penalty in 2006

💡 Zidane's Panenka chip penalty in the 2006 final — moments before his infamous headbutt — is one of the most audacious kicks in World Cup history.