Ball IQFootball Legends Quiz
Free football legends trivia with explained answers — Pelé, Maradona, Cruyff, Beckenbauer and the greats who built the game before 2000.
Free · 624+ Legends questions · new ones added weekly
How well do you know Legends?
Five quick questions to rate your Legends Ball IQ. Play now →
Sample questions shown — the full quiz has many more.
What the Legends quiz covers
Every question is written and checked by football fans, across the topics that decide a real Legends expert:
Champions & title races
Every winner and the races that went down to the wire.
Players & legends
The stars and record-breakers who defined the Legends.
Managers
The great bosses and the dynasties they built.
Trophies & records
Top scorers, appearances, transfers and all-time bests.
Famous matches
Iconic games, comebacks and unforgettable goals.
History & eras
Founding stories, golden eras and how it all evolved.
Think you know Legends? Prove it in the app.
Streaks, live 1v1, a rating out of 99 — and every quiz in one app.
Download on theApp StoreLegends sample questions & answers
Tap “Show answer” to reveal the answer and the story behind it.
-
Which striker came through Anderlecht's academy and topped the Belgian scoring charts as a teenager in 2009-10?
- Divock Origi
- Michy Batshuayi
- Romelu Lukaku
- Christian Benteke
Show answer
Answer: Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku was still 16 when he broke through at Anderlecht.
-
The club anthem heard at home games, 'Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur', is sung to the tune of which song?
- Battle Hymn of the Republic
- Jerusalem
- Land of Hope and Glory
- When the Saints Go Marching In
Show answer
Answer: Battle Hymn of the Republic
The 'Glory Glory' chant borrows the Battle Hymn of the Republic melody, fitting Bill Nicholson's belief that the game is about 'glory'.
-
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, twice European Footballer of the Year at Bayern, later returned to serve the club in which capacity?
- Head coach
- Chairman of the executive board
- Club president
- Sporting director
Show answer
Answer: Chairman of the executive board
As CEO/chairman from 2002 to 2021 he oversaw the era that delivered the 2013 and 2020 trebles.
-
Which West German captain lifted the World Cup as a player in 1974 and then as a manager in 1990 — both times with West Germany?
- Helmut Schön
- Franz Beckenbauer
- Sepp Maier
- Berti Vogts
Show answer
Answer: Franz Beckenbauer
'Der Kaiser' joined Zagallo as the first men to win the World Cup as both player and coach, a feat since matched only by Didier Deschamps.
-
Which Welsh centre-back captained Everton through their trophy-winning peak in the mid-1980s?
- Derek Mountfield
- Brian Labone
- Kevin Ratcliffe
- Dave Watson
Show answer
Answer: Kevin Ratcliffe
Kevin Ratcliffe was made captain in 1983 and lifted multiple major honours as skipper.
-
Eric Cantona famously kung-fu kicked a fan at which ground?
- Old Trafford
- Stamford Bridge
- Highbury
- Selhurst Park
Show answer
Answer: Selhurst Park
Cantona leapt into the crowd at Selhurst Park in January 1995 and was banned for 8 months.
-
Which legendary player received the first ever Ballon d'Or in 1956?
- Di Stefano
- Kopa
- Puskas
- Matthews
Show answer
Answer: Matthews
Stanley Matthews of Blackpool won the inaugural 1956 Ballon d'Or, aged 41 — he's still the oldest winner.
-
George Best was voted European Footballer of the Year — in which year?
- 1970
- 1972
- 1966
- 1968
Show answer
Answer: 1968
Best won the 1968 Ballon d'Or aged 22, ahead of teammate Bobby Charlton, the same year he helped Manchester United become the first English club to win the European Cup.
-
Which flamboyant French winger won both the PFA and FWA Player of the Year awards in 1999 while at Spurs?
- Youri Djorkaeff
- Nicolas Anelka
- Robert Pires
- David Ginola
Show answer
Answer: David Ginola
David Ginola swept both major awards in 1999 despite Spurs finishing mid-table.
-
Whose 1999 sale to Real Madrid netted such a profit that Arsenal's London Colney training ground was nicknamed the house he built?
- Marc Overmars
- Nicolas Anelka
- Emmanuel Petit
- Jose Antonio Reyes
Show answer
Answer: Nicolas Anelka
Bought for around £500,000, Anelka left for roughly £23m after two seasons, and the windfall largely bankrolled Arsenal's state-of-the-art new training base at London Colney.
-
Which Brazilian legend was arrested in Paraguay in 2020 for entering the country with a false passport, and detained for nearly six months?
- Ronaldinho
- Ronaldo
- Rivaldo
- Kaká
Show answer
Answer: Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho was detained in Paraguay in March 2020 along with his brother.
-
Which midfielder, nicknamed 'Sid', had three spells at Aston Villa and won the European Cup with the club?
- Gordon Cowans
- Gary Williams
- Allan Evans
- Des Bremner
Show answer
Answer: Gordon Cowans
Gordon 'Sid' Cowans was a mainstay of Villa's early-1980s golden era.
-
What was the nickname of AC Milan's legendary late-80s side under Arrigo Sacchi that won back-to-back European Cups?
- I Maestri
- Gli Invincibili
- Gli Immortali (The Immortals)
- La Grande Milan
Show answer
Answer: Gli Immortali (The Immortals)
Sacchi's side was nicknamed Gli Immortali. Capello's 1991-93 Milan later earned the name Gli Invincibili (58-game unbeaten run).
-
Carlos 'Kaiser' Raposo had a professional football career from 1979-1992 without ever doing what?
- Signing a contract
- Getting paid by a club
- Playing in a match
- Leaving Brazil
Show answer
Answer: Playing in a match
Carlos 'Kaiser' Raposo faked a 13-year career by signing short deals, feigning injury and befriending stars — his closest brush with action was a red card while warming up.
-
Stanley Matthews won the FA Cup with Blackpool in 1953 — the match is named after him. How old was he?
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
Show answer
Answer: 38
At 38, Matthews inspired Blackpool's 4-3 comeback from 3-1 down against Bolton at Wembley — his only FA Cup, forever dubbed the 'Matthews Final' despite Stan Mortensen's hat-trick.
-
Which Real Madrid legend scored in every European Cup final from 1956 to 1960, including the famous 7-3 win over Eintracht Frankfurt?
- Kopa
- Puskas
- Gento
- Di Stéfano
Show answer
Answer: Di Stéfano
Real Madrid thrashed Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 at Hampden Park in front of 127,000 in 1960.
-
What was the nickname of Feyenoord and Netherlands midfielder Willem van Hanegem?
- De Zwarte
- De Generaal
- Het Kanon
- De Kromme
Show answer
Answer: De Kromme
Van Hanegem was known as 'De Kromme' (The Crooked One) for his bent passes.
-
Which Athletic Bilbao captain helped carry the then-banned Basque flag onto the pitch before a December 1976 derby?
- Dani
- Andoni Goikoetxea
- Manuel Sarabia
- José Ángel Iribar
Show answer
Answer: José Ángel Iribar
Goalkeeper-captain José Ángel Iribar helped display the ikurriña, which was legalised soon after in 1977.
-
John Charles made a landmark move abroad in 1957 — which Italian club did he join?
- Roma
- Juventus
- Inter
- AC Milan
Show answer
Answer: Juventus
Welsh 'Gentle Giant' John Charles joined Juventus from Leeds in 1957 for a British-record £65,000 and became a Turin legend, winning three Serie A titles.
-
Gerd Müller scored 68 international goals for West Germany — in how many appearances?
- 67
- 72
- 85
- 62
Show answer
Answer: 62
'Der Bomber' averaged better than a goal a game for West Germany (68 in 62), capping it with the winner in the 1974 World Cup final against the Netherlands.
More quizzes to try
Legends quiz — FAQ
Who is considered the greatest footballer of all time?
What was the “Hand of God”?
Which club did Johan Cruyff define?
Is the Legends quiz free to play?
About the Legends quiz
Before the highlight reels and the data, there were the legends — and this free quiz is a tour through the players who built the modern game. Pelé and his three World Cups. Diego Maradona dragging Argentina to glory in 1986, almost single-handed. Johan Cruyff inventing a turn, a philosophy and half of modern Barcelona. The greats whose names still set the standard everyone else is measured against.
It reaches back to the golden ages. Alfredo Di Stéfano and Ferenc Puskás at the great Real Madrid side that won the first five European Cups. Eusébio's 1966, George Best's genius, Garrincha's dribbling, Franz Beckenbauer reinventing defending as an art. Then the icons who carried it toward the modern era — Marco van Basten's volley, Roberto Baggio's penalty, the players who defined the 1980s and 90s before the millennium turned.
The questions span clubs, countries and World Cups, from the obvious — who won the 1986 World Cup's Golden Ball — to the harder corners of football history: specific finals, individual honours and the careers behind the names. It's a category that rewards anyone who's read the history, not just watched the recent seasons.
Every answer carries a short piece of context, so the quiz doubles as a refresher on why these players mattered. Try the free sample below, then play the full Legends bank in the app.
Ball IQ has 624 Legends questions — 137 easy, 311 medium and 176 hard.