Quiz of the Day
FIFA World Cup Kickoff
Thursday, 11 June 2026
World Cup 2026 begins — football/soccer history, host countries, legendary players
1. Which three countries are co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
- Spain, Portugal, Morocco
- USA, Canada, Mexico
- England, Scotland, Ireland
- USA, Brazil, Argentina
The 2026 World Cup is the first to be hosted by three countries and the first to feature 48 teams, up from 32. It is also the first time Canada has hosted the men's World Cup. The tournament spans 16 venues across three nations.
2. Which country won the first ever FIFA World Cup in 1930?
- Uruguay
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Italy
Uruguay hosted and won the inaugural 1930 World Cup, beating Argentina 4-2 in the final in Montevideo. Only 13 teams participated, and several European nations refused to attend because the ocean voyage took two weeks. Uruguay declared a national holiday to celebrate.
3. Which country has won the most FIFA World Cup titles?
- Argentina
- Brazil
- Germany
- Italy
Brazil has won the World Cup 5 times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) and is the only country to have participated in every single tournament. The 1970 Brazilian team, featuring Pele, is widely considered the greatest football team ever assembled.
4. Who holds the record for the most goals scored in a single World Cup tournament?
- Pele
- Just Fontaine
- Miroslav Klose
- Gerd Muller
France's Just Fontaine scored an astonishing 13 goals in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden — a record that has stood for over 65 years. Remarkably, he did it in just 6 matches and was even playing with a borrowed pair of boots after his own were damaged.
5. What is the name of the current FIFA World Cup trophy?
- The Golden Globe
- The Jules Rimet Trophy
- The Ballon d'Or Cup
- The FIFA World Cup Trophy
The current trophy, introduced in 1974, is made of 18-carat gold and weighs 6.1 kg. The original Jules Rimet Trophy was permanently awarded to Brazil after their third win in 1970, and was later stolen from a display case in Rio de Janeiro in 1983 and never recovered.
6. Which player has scored the most goals in World Cup history across all tournaments?
- Lionel Messi
- Miroslav Klose
- Pele
- Ronaldo (Brazil)
Germany's Miroslav Klose scored 16 World Cup goals across four tournaments (2002-2014). He overtook Ronaldo's record of 15 with a goal in the 2014 semi-final against Brazil — the infamous 7-1 match. Klose celebrated each goal with his signature backflip.
7. What famous event occurred in the 1966 World Cup final?
- The Battle of Santiago
- The Maracanazo
- Geoff Hurst's controversial hat-trick goal
- The Hand of God goal
In the 1966 final, England's Geoff Hurst scored a shot that hit the crossbar and bounced down. The referee awarded the goal, but to this day it remains debated whether the ball fully crossed the line. Hurst remains the only player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final.
8. What was the 'Maracanazo' of 1950?
- Uruguay's shock win over Brazil in the final
- The first World Cup held in South America
- Italy's controversial exit
- Brazil's record victory over Sweden
Brazil needed only a draw in the 1950 final group match against Uruguay, played before nearly 200,000 fans in Rio's Maracana Stadium. Uruguay won 2-1. The shock was so great that several spectators reportedly died of heart attacks, and Brazilian goalkeeper Moacir Barbosa was blamed and shunned for the rest of his life.
9. At what age did Pele win his first World Cup?
- 21
- 19
- 17
- 15
Pele was just 17 years and 249 days old when Brazil won the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. He scored 6 goals in the tournament, including 2 in the final against Sweden. He remains the youngest player to score in a World Cup final and went on to win 3 World Cups in total.
10. Which was the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals?
- Senegal
- Nigeria
- Ghana
- Cameroon
Cameroon reached the quarter-finals in 1990, led by 38-year-old Roger Milla, who became the oldest World Cup goalscorer. His iconic corner-flag dance celebration became one of the most memorable moments in World Cup history. They beat defending champions Argentina in the opening match.
11. How often is the FIFA World Cup held?
- Every 5 years
- Every 3 years
- Every 2 years
- Every 4 years
The World Cup has been held every four years since 1930, with the exception of 1942 and 1946 when it was cancelled due to World War II. The tournament has grown from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams for 2026, and now reaches a TV audience of over 3.5 billion people.
12. Which goalkeeper is famous for the 'Scorpion Kick' save?
- Gianluigi Buffon
- Rene Higuita
- Peter Schmeichel
- Lev Yashin
Colombia's Rene Higuita performed his famous 'Scorpion Kick' in a 1995 friendly against England at Wembley, kicking both heels over his head to clear the ball. In the 1990 World Cup, his dribbling antics as a sweeper-keeper led to a costly mistake when Roger Milla tackled him near the halfway line and scored.
13. What does the red card signify in football?
- The player must leave the field and cannot be replaced
- A warning to the player
- The game is paused for review
- A penalty kick is awarded
Red and yellow cards were introduced at the 1970 World Cup after a 1966 quarter-final controversy where England's players did not realise their opponent had been sent off. The system was invented by English referee Ken Aston, who got the idea from traffic lights while driving home.
14. Which country hosted the World Cup in 2022?
- Saudi Arabia
- Japan
- Russia
- Qatar
Qatar 2022 was the first World Cup held in the Middle East and the first played in November-December instead of the traditional June-July window, due to extreme summer heat. Qatar is the smallest country ever to host the tournament — it is smaller than the US state of Connecticut.
15. Who scored the 'Hand of God' goal in the 1986 World Cup?
- Zinedine Zidane
- Diego Maradona
- Ronaldinho
- Pele
Maradona scored two goals against England in the 1986 quarter-final. The first was punched in with his fist — which he later attributed to 'the hand of God'. Just four minutes later, he scored what FIFA named the 'Goal of the Century', dribbling past five English players and the goalkeeper in a 60-metre run.