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Did you know the FIFA World Cup is held every four years? Or that the very first tournament kicked off in 1930? If these facts are common knowledge to you, then you might be able to ace this trivia challenge!
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is unfolding in real time, with eight teams left in the quarterfinals. Players from around the world are giving their all in hopes of proudly raising the trophy at the tournament final. Whether you're a die-hard fan, know someone who is, or just want to test your knowledge, dive into the following FIFA World Cup trivia questions.
World Cup History
Which country hosted the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930?
Answer: Uruguay
Which nation won the first FIFA World Cup?
Answer: Uruguay
How many teams competed in the first FIFA World Cup?
Answer: 13
Which country became the first to win consecutive FIFA World Cups?
Answer: Italy (1934 and 1938)
Which two World Cups were canceled because of World War II?
Answer: 1942 and 1946
Which World Cup was the first to require qualification before the finals tournament?
Answer: 1934
Which nation has qualified for every FIFA World Cup?
Answer: Brazil
Which World Cup was the first to feature 24 teams?
Answer: Spain 1982
Which World Cup was the first to feature 32 teams?
Answer: France 1998
Which World Cup was the first co-hosted by two countries?
Answer: 2002 (South Korea and Japan)
Which country became the first African nation to host the FIFA World Cup?
Answer: South Africa (2010)
Which World Cup was the first held in the Middle East?
Answer: Qatar 2022
Which World Cup was the first to use goal-line technology?
Answer: Brazil 2014
Which World Cup was the first to use VAR (Video Assistant Referee)?
Answer: Russia 2018
Which tournament was the first FIFA World Cup held during November and December?
Answer: Qatar 2022
Which World Cup was played using a final round-robin group instead of a single championship match?
Answer: 1950
Which nation won the 1950 World Cup after defeating Brazil in the decisive final-round match?
Answer: Uruguay
What is the nickname given to Uruguay's famous 2–1 victory over Brazil in 1950?
Answer: The Maracanazo
Which nation became the first host country to win the FIFA World Cup?
Answer: Uruguay (1930)
Which country was the first to win the World Cup outside its own continent?
Answer: Brazil (1958, in Sweden)
Which country became the first European nation to win a World Cup played in the Americas?
Answer: Spain (2010 was in Africa, so the first in the Americas was Germany in Brazil, 2014.)
Answer: Germany
Which World Cup final is the only one to have been replayed after ending level?
Answer: England vs. West Germany (1966)
Which host nation has staged the FIFA World Cup three times, more than any other?
Answer: Mexico (1970, 1986, and 2026)
Before 2026, which country had hosted the FIFA World Cup twice?
Answer: Mexico, Italy, France, Germany, and Brazil
What is the largest official attendance ever recorded for a FIFA World Cup match?
Answer: 173,850 spectators (Brazil vs. Uruguay, 1950, Maracanã Stadium)
Players & Records
Who is the all-time leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history?
Answer: Miroslav Klose (16 goals)
Which player scored a record 13 goals in a single World Cup tournament?
Answer: Just Fontaine (1958)
Who is the only player to win three FIFA World Cups?
Answer: Pelé
Which player has appeared in the most FIFA World Cup matches?
Answer: Lionel Messi (26)
Who was the youngest player ever to score in a World Cup final?
Answer: Pelé (17 years old in 1958)
Which player scored the fastest goal in FIFA World Cup history?
Answer: Hakan Şükür (11 seconds against South Korea in 2002)
Who won the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
Answer: Lionel Messi
Which player won the Golden Boot at the 2014 FIFA World Cup after scoring six goals?
Answer: James Rodríguez
Who scored a hat trick in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: Kylian Mbappé
Which goalkeeper has recorded the most clean sheets in FIFA World Cup history?
Answer: Peter Shilton (10)
Who scored the winning goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: Andrés Iniesta
Who scored the winning goal in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: Mario Götze
Which player captained Spain to its first FIFA World Cup title in 2010?
Answer: Iker Casillas
Who won the Golden Boot at the 2018 FIFA World Cup?
Answer: Harry Kane
Which player scored the famous "Hand of God" goal at the 1986 FIFA World Cup?
Answer: Diego Maradona
Which player also scored the "Goal of the Century" in the same 1986 match against England?
Answer: Diego Maradona
Who became the oldest player to score in a FIFA World Cup match at the 2022 tournament?
Answer: Pepe
Which player won the Golden Glove at the 2022 FIFA World Cup?
Answer: Emiliano Martínez
Who was the first player to be sent off in a FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: Pedro Monzón (1990)
Which player has scored in the most different FIFA World Cup tournaments?
Answer: Cristiano Ronaldo (five tournaments)
Who captained Argentina to victory at the 1986 FIFA World Cup?
Answer: Diego Maradona
Which player scored the decisive penalty in the 2006 World Cup final shootout for Italy?
Answer: Fabio Grosso
Who won the Golden Ball at the 1998 FIFA World Cup despite finishing as runner-up?
Answer: Ronaldo
Which player scored both goals for Brazil in the 2002 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: Ronaldo
Which goalkeeper captained a World Cup-winning team while also winning the Golden Glove during the tournament?
Answer: Iker Casillas
Teams & Nations
Which country has won the most FIFA World Cup titles?
Answer: Brazil (5)
Which nation has finished as runner-up the most times at the FIFA World Cup?
Answer: Germany (4 as West Germany, 4 as reunified Germany, for 8 total)
Which country became the first African nation to reach the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals?
Answer: Cameroon (1990)
Which nation became the first African team to reach the FIFA World Cup semifinals?
Answer: Morocco (2022)
Which Asian nation became the first to reach the FIFA World Cup semifinals?
Answer: South Korea (2002)
Which country won its first FIFA World Cup title in 1998?
Answer: France
Which country won its first FIFA World Cup title in 2010?
Answer: Spain
Which nation has appeared in the most FIFA World Cup finals?
Answer: Germany (8)
Which South American nation has won exactly three FIFA World Cup titles?
Answer: Argentina
Which country reached three consecutive FIFA World Cup finals between 1994 and 2002?
Answer: Brazil
Which country became the first European nation to win a World Cup hosted in South America?
Answer: Germany (2014)
Which country won the FIFA World Cup without losing a match in 2006?
Answer: Italy
Which country won the FIFA World Cup after losing its opening match of the tournament?
Answer: Spain (2010)
Which nation eliminated defending champion France in the opening match of the 2002 FIFA World Cup?
Answer: Senegal
Which country won the 2014 FIFA World Cup after defeating Argentina in extra time?
Answer: Germany
Which nation finished third at the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930?
Answer: United States
Which country has the most third-place finishes in FIFA World Cup history?
Answer: Germany (4)
Which country became the first host nation to be eliminated in the group stage of its own FIFA World Cup?
Answer: South Africa (2010)
Which country became the first defending champion to be eliminated in the group stage?
Answer: France (2002)
Which nation won the FIFA World Cup in both Europe and the Americas?
Answer: Brazil
Which country reached its first FIFA World Cup final in 2018?
Answer: Croatia
Which country defeated Brazil in the 1998 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: France
Which nation defeated Germany 2–0 in the group stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup?
Answer: South Korea
Which country did Italy defeat in the "Game of the Century" semifinal at the 1970 FIFA World Cup? Answer: West Germany
Which country became the first team to successfully defend its FIFA World Cup title?
Answer: Italy (1934 and 1938)
Matches, Finals & Memorable Moments
Which team did Uruguay defeat in the inaugural FIFA World Cup final in 1930?
Answer: Argentina
Which country did Brazil defeat to win its first FIFA World Cup title in 1958?
Answer: Sweden
Who scored twice for Brazil in the 1958 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: Vavá
Which player scored twice in the 1958 World Cup final at just 17 years old?
Answer: Pelé
Which World Cup final is the only one to have been replayed after ending in a draw?
Answer: England vs. West Germany (1966)
What was the final score of the famous "Game of the Century" semifinal between Italy and West Germany in 1970?
Answer: Italy 4, West Germany 3 (after extra time)
Which player scored the winning goal in extra time of the 1974 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: Gerd Müller
Which nation defeated the Netherlands in the 1978 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: Argentina
Which match featured Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" goal?
Answer: Argentina vs. England (1986 quarterfinal)
Which nation did Argentina defeat in the 1986 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: West Germany
Which FIFA World Cup final was the first to be decided by a penalty shootout?
Answer: 1994 (Brazil vs. Italy)
Which Brazilian player scored the winning penalty in the 1994 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: Dunga
Whose penalty kick sailed over the crossbar to end the 1994 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: Roberto Baggio
Which host nation defeated Brazil 3–0 in the 1998 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: France
Who scored both goals for Brazil in the 2002 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: Ronaldo
Which nation did Italy defeat in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: France
Which player was sent off after headbutting Marco Materazzi in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: Zinedine Zidane
Which player scored the only goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: Andrés Iniesta
What was the score of Germany's historic semifinal victory over Brazil in 2014?
Answer: Germany 7, Brazil 1
Which nation defeated Croatia in the 2018 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: France
Which player became the second teenager after Pelé to score in a FIFA World Cup final when he scored for France in 2018?
Answer: Kylian Mbappé
Which two nations contested the 2022 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: Argentina and France
How was the 2022 FIFA World Cup final ultimately decided?
Answer: A penalty shootout
Which goalkeeper made the crucial save against Randal Kolo Muani in the final moments of extra time in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final?
Answer: Emiliano Martínez
Which player scored in every knockout-round match for Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup (Round of 16, quarterfinal, semifinal, and final)?
Answer: Lionel Messi
How many of these questions did you get right? Your score likely depends on how dedicated you are to following the games and how many years you've kept up with the FIFA World Cup.
Check out Mental Floss for more fun trivia!