World Cup trivia

10 Hardest World Cup Trivia Questions (With Answers)

These are ten of the hardest World Cup trivia questions we could find — the kind that separate casual viewers from real fans. Answers are hidden right below each question, so cover the screen and see how many you get.

The questions

1. Who is the all-time top scorer in World Cup history?
   Answer: Miroslav Klose (Germany), 16 goals.
2. Which country hosted and won the first World Cup in 1930?
   Answer: Uruguay.
3. Who is the only player to win three World Cups?
   Answer: Pelé (Brazil) — 1958, 1962, 1970.
4. Which country has appeared in every World Cup?
   Answer: Brazil.
5. Who scored the only hat-trick in a men's World Cup final?
   Answer: Geoff Hurst (England), 1966.
6. Which nation won the first World Cup held in Asia (2002)?
   Answer: Brazil (the 2002 tournament was co-hosted by South Korea and Japan).
7. Who won the Golden Ball as best player at the 2022 World Cup?
   Answer: Lionel Messi (Argentina).
8. Which country lost three World Cup finals before finally winning one?
   Answer: The Netherlands have lost three finals (1974, 1978, 2010) and never won — a favourite trap.
9. Who was the youngest player to score in a World Cup final?
   Answer: Pelé, aged 17, in 1958.
10. How many teams will play in the 2026 World Cup?
    Answer: 48 teams, up from 32.

How did you do?

Getting 8 or more right puts you comfortably in expert territory. Most fans land around 4–6. If you want a proper scored version — with a percentile that shows exactly where you rank against other fans — take our free World Cup Fan Challenge.