Think you know everything about FIFA World Cup history? Take this fun, 20-question quiz to see if you can become a World Cup trivia champion before the 2026 tournament kicks off! Challenge yourself with questions about past winners, legendary players, and unforgettable moments in World Cup history.
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⚽ FIFA World Cup Fun Facts You Might Not Know
Think you know everything about the FIFA World Cup? Here are some surprising and fascinating facts that even the biggest fans might not know!
- The FIFA World Cup is the most watched sporting event in the world, even more than the Olympics.
- The first official World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay, with just 13 teams competing.
- First televised World Cup: The 1954 World Cup in Switzerland was the first to be broadcast on television, revolutionizing how fans experienced football.
- The World Cup trophy is called the FIFA World Cup Trophy, weighing 6.1 kilograms (about 13 pounds).
- Quickest goal by a substitute: James Rodríguez once scored within 29 seconds of coming on in 2014.
- Oldest player ever: Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary played at 45 in 2018.
- Youngest player: Norman Whiteside of Northern Ireland was just 17 in 1982.
- Highest-scoring match: Austria beat Switzerland 7–5 in 1954.
- Most goals by a player in a single tournament: Just Fontaine scored 13 goals for France in 1958.
- The World Cup has been hosted on every inhabited continent except Antarctica.
- First World Cup hat-trick: Bert Patenaude of the USA scored three goals in 1930.
- Longest penalty shootout: In 2005 (Confederations Cup), it went to 11–10, showing how nerve-wracking shootouts can be.
- Most red cards in a match: The 2006 Portugal vs. Netherlands game saw 4 red cards and 16 yellow cards—the “Battle of Nuremberg.”
- Most goals in a World Cup final: Hungary vs. Sweden in 1954 ended 3–2, a thrilling finish.
- Unbeaten streak: Italy went unbeaten for 30 World Cup matches between 1938–1982.
- The 2022 Qatar World Cup was the first ever winter World Cup.
- The World Cup mascot tradition started in 1966 with England’s “World Cup Willie.”
- Smallest country to participate: Iceland qualified in 2018 with a population under 350,000.
- Largest margin of victory: Hungary defeated El Salvador 10–1 in 1982.
- First own goal in World Cup history: Luis Monti of Argentina in 1930.
