The World Cup is the biggest stage in sport, and the stories attached to it never run out. These ten World Cup history trivia questions cover finals, legends and heartbreaks from 1930 to 2022, each answered with a note and checked against a named source. Use them on a match day, or as a sports round in a trivia quiz online with friends.
The questions
- Which country won the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar?
- Which country has won the most men's World Cups?
- Which Brazilian legend won three World Cups and wore the number 10?
- Which Argentine scored the Hand of God goal in 1986?
- Which country hosted the 2014 World Cup?
- Which country won the 2014 World Cup?
- Which country won the 2018 World Cup in Russia?
- Which French legend headbutted an opponent in the 2006 World Cup final?
- Which country won the first World Cup in 1930?
- Which country won the 1966 World Cup at Wembley?
The answers, with a note on each
- Argentina, who beat France on penalties after a 3–3 draw, one of the greatest finals ever.
- Brazil, who have won five World Cups and are the only team to play at every one.
- Pelé, the only player to win three World Cups.
- Diego Maradona. Four minutes later, he scored a solo goal voted the Goal of the Century.
- Brazil, who lost 7–1 to Germany in the semi-final on home soil.
- Germany. Mario Götze scored the winner in extra time against Argentina.
- France. Kylian Mbappé was 19 when he scored in the 2018 final.
- Zinedine Zidane. It was his last professional match.
- Uruguay, who hosted the first World Cup and beat Argentina 4–2 in the final.
- England. Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick in the 1966 final.
How hard is the set?
Questions 1 to 4 are for any fan. Questions 5 to 8 are medium and test how well a table remembers the last decade. Questions 9 and 10 are history, and a fair guess is rewarded. For a tie-break, ask how many goals were scored in the 2022 final and prize the nearest answer.
How do you use it on the night?
A match-day trivia night works well in a short burst. Ten questions before kick-off, five at half-time, and a final five after the whistle make a quiz that fits around the game.
Why do shoot-outs make good questions?
Because they are so vivid. A final decided on penalties after a 3–3 draw is a story that lasts, and the table remembers who they watched it with. A quizmaster who asks the table to name the first player to miss gets a shower of guesses. Football quizzes are as much about memory as about fact.
How do you run a match-day quiz?
Put it on before kick-off, with a point for each correct answer and a point for any shirt worn. Make a rule that the quizmaster is neutral and the table is not. After the match, a bonus question on the result keeps the energy going. For a family, give the children a round on football stickers.
What follow-ups work?
Ask which country hosts the 2026 World Cup, which player scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final and which manager led Manchester United for 26 years. They are in the same bank. A table of fans will have a heated argument about which World Cup was the greatest, and that is a perfect place to stop.
A note on the sources
Each answer was re-read against its source on 17 October 2026. Football statistics move quickly, and a quizmaster who reuses a set months later should check the records again.
Ahmed Moaz builds Boardit, a free browser game site.
