Ball IQWorld Cup Quiz
Test your FIFA World Cup knowledge with free trivia questions and explained answers — from 1930 to Qatar 2022. Every answer comes with the story behind it.
Free · 603+ World Cup questions · new ones added weekly
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Sample questions shown — the full quiz has many more.
What the World Cup quiz covers
Every question is written and checked by football fans, across the topics that decide a real World Cup 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 World Cup.
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.
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Which nation did England famously lose to 1-0 in the 1950 World Cup group stage?
- USA
- Brazil
- Italy
- Uruguay
Show answer
Answer: USA
The USA's shock win over England in Belo Horizonte is one of the biggest World Cup upsets ever.
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Which player scored the winning goal for Germany in the 2014 World Cup final vs Argentina?
- Götze
- Hummels
- Müller
- Klose
Show answer
Answer: Götze
Mario Götze scored a 113th-minute left-foot volley from Schürrle's cross to win Germany the 2014 World Cup.
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Which player scored in 2 different World Cup finals (1958 and 1970) — both Brazil victories?
- Vavá
- Garrincha
- Pelé
- Zagallo
Show answer
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.
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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?
- Pelé
- Giuseppe Bergomi
- Michael Owen
- Norman Whiteside
Show answer
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).
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Which country advanced from the 2018 World Cup group stage on fair play points — the first time that tiebreaker was ever used?
- Japan
- Senegal
- Switzerland
- Colombia
Show answer
Answer: Japan
Japan and Senegal were level on all statistics — Japan went through on fewer yellow cards.
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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?
- Hristo Stoichkov
- Yordan Letchkov
- Trifon Ivanov
- Emil Kostadinov
Show answer
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.
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Which German international scored 14 goals at World Cups (1970 & 1974) — a German record Klose later surpassed?
- Gerd Müller
- Uwe Seeler
- Rudi Völler
- Jürgen Klinsmann
Show answer
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.
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Whose missed final penalty — skied over the bar — sealed Italy's 1994 World Cup final defeat to Brazil?
- Baggio
- Donadoni
- Mussi
- Baresi
Show answer
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.
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Lionel Messi was born on 24 June 1987 — how old will he turn during the 2026 World Cup?
- 37
- 39
- 36
- 38
Show answer
Answer: 39
Born 24 June 1987, Messi turns 39 on 24 June 2026 — during the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, which runs 11 June to 19 July.
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Real Betis great Rafael Gordillo, who later won five straight La Liga titles at Real Madrid, played at two World Cups for which country?
- Portugal
- Spain
- Argentina
- Mexico
Show answer
Answer: Spain
Gordillo, a Betis and Real Madrid star, was a Spain regular in the 1980s and appeared at two World Cups.
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Athletic Bilbao forward Iñaki Williams, born in Bilbao to Ghanaian parents, chose to represent which nation from 2022, playing at that year's World Cup?
- Nigeria
- Ghana
- Equatorial Guinea
- Spain
Show answer
Answer: Ghana
Williams switched his international allegiance to Ghana and featured at the 2022 World Cup.
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In which country was Robert Prosinečki born, to Yugoslav guest-worker parents?
- France
- West Germany
- Switzerland
- Austria
Show answer
Answer: West Germany
Prosinečki was born in Schwenningen, West Germany.
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Which Argentine forward missed the 1990 World Cup final through suspension after picking up a yellow card for handball in the semi-final against Italy?
- Gustavo Dezotti
- Jorge Burruchaga
- Gabriel Batistuta
- Claudio Caniggia
Show answer
Answer: Claudio Caniggia
The flowing-haired striker had already scored the winner against Brazil in the round of 16 and equalised against host Italy in the semi — his handball to stop a Giannini pass earned the booking that kept him out of the Rome final.
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How many goals did Gary Lineker score at the 1986 World Cup to win the Golden Boot?
- 7
- 6
- 4
- 5
Show answer
Answer: 6
6 goals — including a hat-trick vs Poland in the group stage. He's the only English player to win a World Cup Golden Boot.
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Which country was the first from Africa to compete in a World Cup — in 1934?
- Egypt
- Nigeria
- Morocco
- South Africa
Show answer
Answer: Egypt
Egypt lost 4-2 to Hungary in their only match at the 1934 tournament in Italy — and didn't appear at another World Cup until 1990.
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Three Liverpool players were in England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad. Which Reds striker started every game and scored three times in the tournament?
- Ian St John
- Tommy Smith
- Roger Hunt
- Ian Callaghan
Show answer
Answer: Roger Hunt
He was Liverpool's record scorer (285 goals) before Ian Rush; clubmates Callaghan and Gerry Byrne also made the squad, but he was the only forward to start every match.
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Through the 2022 World Cup, which country had appeared in the most World Cup finals - 8?
- Brazil
- West Germany and Germany
- Italy
- Argentina
Show answer
Answer: West Germany and Germany
Germany/West Germany reached 8 finals (1954, 1966, 1974, 1982, 1986, 1990, 2002, 2014) through 2022, ahead of Brazil's 7.
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Which legendary German striker scored in four consecutive World Cups — 1958, 1962, 1966 and 1970?
- Franz Beckenbauer
- Uwe Seeler
- Helmut Haller
- Gerd Müller
Show answer
Answer: Uwe Seeler
The Hamburger SV icon was the first player to score in four different World Cups — a record later beaten by Pelé, Ronaldo and Klose.
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In the decisive 1950 World Cup match, which Brazil goalkeeper was unfairly blamed for the rest of his life after conceding the goal that handed Uruguay the title?
- Carlos Castilho
- Gilmar
- Moacir Barbosa
- Roque Maspoli
Show answer
Answer: Moacir Barbosa
Decades later he reportedly said he was an innocent man serving a life sentence for a crime he didn't commit.
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Morocco beat Spain on penalties in the 2022 World Cup round of 16 — how did Yassine Bounou perform in the shootout?
- Saved two penalties
- Saved one penalty
- Saved three penalties
- Didn't face any — all went wide
Show answer
Answer: Saved two penalties
Bounou saved Soler's and Busquets's penalties; Sarabia hit the post. Spain missed all three of their attempts — Morocco won 3-0 in the shootout.
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About the World Cup quiz
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 603 World Cup questions — 160 easy, 291 medium and 152 hard.