Free World Cup trivia questions with explained answers.
The FIFA World Cup is the biggest single-sport event on the planet, and almost a century of it gives you a lot to be quizzed on. This free World Cup quiz runs from the very first tournament — Uruguay 1930, won by the hosts — right through to Qatar 2022, where Argentina and Lionel Messi finally lifted the trophy after beating France on penalties in one of the greatest finals ever played.
In between sit all the moments that define the competition. Brazil's golden era, with a 17-year-old Pelé announcing himself in 1958. England's only triumph, at Wembley in 1966. Diego Maradona's twin moments against England in 1986 — the Hand of God and then the goal of the century four minutes later. Zinedine Zidane's two headers to beat Brazil in 1998, and his red-card headbutt eight years later. Spain's tiki-taka peak in 2010, Germany's astonishing 7-1 demolition of Brazil on home soil in 2014, and Kylian Mbappé's emergence as a teenager in 2018.
The questions cover winners and hosts, top scorers and Golden Glove keepers, famous finals and infamous upsets. You'll get asked who scored France's third goal in the 1998 final, which goalkeeper saved Coman's penalty in the 2022 shoot-out, and how Croatia kept grinding their way to the 2018 final through three straight extra-time knockouts. Answers are graded easy to hard, so you can warm up on the obvious champions before the deep cuts about 1930s qualifying and stoppage-time third-place play-offs.
Every question below comes with a short explanation, so even when you miss one you pick up the detail that makes it stick. Play the sample set here for free, then jump into the full World Cup quiz in the app for hundreds more.
Ball IQ has 583 World Cup questions — 103 easy, 244 medium and 236 hard.
20 sample questions. Tap “Show answer” to reveal the answer and the story behind it.
Mexico had reached seven consecutive World Cup Round of 16s before — at which tournament did they fail to escape the group stage, snapping the streak?
Answer: 2022
Mexico finished 3rd in their group at Qatar 2022 behind Argentina and Poland, ending a knockout-stage streak going back to 1994.
Which country won the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
Answer: Argentina
Argentina beat France on penalties in Qatar. Mbappe scored a hat-trick in the final.
Which tournament did the USA host on its own in 1994 — before its 2026 co-hosting role with Canada and Mexico?
Answer: World Cup
USA 1994 set the average-attendance World Cup record (~69,000/game) and helped birth MLS two years later.
Which Colombian playmaker won the Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup with 6 goals?
Answer: James Rodríguez
James's stunning chest-and-volley goal vs Uruguay also won the Puskás Award that year.
Which country won the 2010 FIFA World Cup?
Answer: Spain
Spain beat Netherlands 1-0 in Johannesburg with Iniesta's extra-time winner.
Which country will host a men's World Cup for the first time ever in 2026, alongside the United States and Mexico?
Answer: Canada
Canada hosts the men's WC for the first time in 2026, even though they played as a team in Mexico 1986. Only Toronto and Vancouver will host matches in Canada.
Which Australian goalkeeper captained the Socceroos at the 2022 World Cup, leading them to the knockouts?
Answer: Maty Ryan
Maty Ryan captained Australia at Qatar 2022 — they beat Tunisia 1-0 and Denmark 1-0 to reach the R16 (lost 2-1 to Argentina).
Which country hosted the very first African World Cup in 2010?
Answer: South Africa
Held south of the equator — the first WC south of it since Argentina '78.
Which nation did England famously lose to 1-0 in the 1950 World Cup group stage?
Answer: USA
The USA's shock win over England in Belo Horizonte is one of the biggest World Cup upsets ever.
Which player scored in 2 different World Cup finals (1958 and 1970) — both Brazil victories?
Answer: Pelé
Pelé scored in the 1958 final (Brazil 5-2 Sweden aged 17) and the 1970 final (Brazil 4-1 Italy). Injured before 1962 final.
Which German international scored 14 goals at World Cups (1970 & 1974) — a German record Klose later surpassed?
Answer: Gerd Müller
Gerd Müller scored 14 WC goals in just 13 games (10 in 1970 + 4 in 1974). Held WC all-time record until Ronaldo (R9) passed him in 2006.
Who scored Brazil's third goal in the 1958 World Cup final — a stunning flick over a defender followed by a volley — aged just 17?
Answer: Pelé
Vavá scored Brazil's first two; the 17-year-old then made it 3-1 with the iconic flick-volley en route to a 5-2 win over hosts Sweden.
Whose missed final penalty — skied over the bar — sealed Italy's 1994 World Cup final defeat to Brazil?
Answer: Baggio
Baresi had also blazed over earlier in the shootout, but Baggio's miss on Italy's fifth kick handed Brazil the title 3-2 on penalties.
At the 2022 World Cup, the USMNT exited in the Round of 16 — to which team?
Answer: Netherlands
Netherlands beat USA 3-1 in Doha; Memphis Depay, Daley Blind, and Denzel Dumfries all scored.
Which country has appeared in the most World Cup finals in total across football history — with 8 final appearances?
Answer: Germany
Germany (including West Germany) reached 8 WC finals: 1954, 1966, 1974, 1982, 1986, 1990, 2002, 2014. Brazil has 7.
Which player scored the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 World Cup final vs Argentina?
Answer: Götze
Mario Götze scored a 113th-minute left-foot volley from Schürrle's cross to win Germany the 2014 World Cup.
The fastest World Cup hat-trick in history — 7 minutes by László Kiss as a substitute in Hungary's 10-1 win over El Salvador in 1982 — came in which minute for the first goal?
Answer: 69th
Kiss came on in the 57th minute and scored in the 69th, 72nd and 76th — still the only substitute hat-trick in World Cup history.
Who is the YOUNGEST player ever to appear at a World Cup — making his debut aged 17 years and 41 days for Northern Ireland in 1982?
Answer: Norman Whiteside
Norman Whiteside (Northern Ireland) made his WC debut aged 17y41d at the 1982 WC vs Yugoslavia — record still stands. He beat Pelé's record (17y244d in 1958).
Which country was eliminated on fair play points — without losing — at the 2018 World Cup?
Answer: Japan
Japan and Senegal were level on all statistics — Japan went through on fewer yellow cards.
Which Bulgarian forward scored in the 1994 World Cup semi-final defeat to Italy and won the Ballon d'Or later that year — his six goals at USA '94 sharing the Golden Boot?
Answer: Hristo Stoichkov
The Barcelona star equalised from the penalty spot in the semi before Baggio's brace sent the Azzurri through — it was the peak of a golden generation that also beat defending champions Germany in the quarters.