130 Fun Facts About Soccer Trivia for Kids

How many players does each soccer team have on the field at the start of a match?

That includes one keeper, and most competitions now allow up to five substitutes per team.

Which player is the only one allowed to pick up the ball with their hands during play?

Even the goalkeeper can only do it inside their own penalty area.

How long is each half of a regular soccer match?

Two halves make 90 minutes, plus whatever stoppage time the referee adds on.

Roughly how many people play soccer around the world, making it the planet's most popular sport?

They play in more than 200 countries and territories.

How often is the men's FIFA World Cup held?

The only gaps were 1942 and 1946 because of World War II.

Which country hosted and won the very first World Cup in 1930?

Uruguay was picked partly because it was celebrating 100 years of independence that year.

Which country has won the men's World Cup more times than anyone else, with five titles?

Brazil is also the only team that has played in every single World Cup.

Which country won the 2026 World Cup, beating Argentina 1-0 in the final?

Spain let in only one goal in the whole tournament, and it was also the reigning women's world champion.

How many teams played at the 2026 World Cup, the biggest ever?

It was the first World Cup shared by three host countries, with games spread across 16 cities.

Which player won the Golden Boot as top scorer at the 2026 World Cup with 10 goals?

It was his second Golden Boot in a row, and he became the World Cup's all-time leading scorer.

What is it called when one player scores three goals in a single game?

By tradition the player gets to keep the match ball afterwards.

How far from the goal line is the penalty spot?

That is 11 metres, and only the kicker and the keeper are allowed inside the penalty area during the kick.

What does the referee show a player who is being sent off the field?

The team cannot replace a sent-off player and has to finish the game a player short.

A player who gets a yellow card and then a second yellow card in the same match is what?

Two cautions add up to a dismissal, so players on a yellow have to be extra careful.

Which Brazilian legend is the only player to have won three World Cups?

He won his first in 1958 at just 17 years old and was nicknamed O Rei, the King.

Which MLS club did Lionel Messi join in 2023?

He joined after a career at Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, and he captained Argentina too.

How many times has Lionel Messi won the Ballon d'Or, a record?

Cristiano Ronaldo is next with five, though Ronaldo has been nominated the most times.

Which national team has Cristiano Ronaldo captained?

He holds the record for the most goals ever scored in men's international soccer.

Which country has won the Women's World Cup the most times, with four titles?

The USA's fourth win came in France in 2019.

Where was the first Women's World Cup held in 1991?

Its official name back then was the FIFA Women's World Championship.

What is the top soccer division in the country that invented the modern game called?

Twenty clubs play in it, and the bottom teams are relegated to the league below every season.

Which club has won the Champions League more times than any other?

They have lifted the trophy 15 times, starting with the very first final in 1956.

What restart is given when the defending team knocks the ball out over its own goal line?

A goal scored straight from a corner without anyone else touching the ball is called an Olimpico.

How must a player deliver a throw-in?

Both feet also have to stay on or behind the touchline.

The rule that stops attackers from waiting next to the other team's goal for a pass is called what?

You are offside if you are nearer the goal line than both the ball and the second-last defender when the ball is played.

What is it called when a player accidentally puts the ball into their own team's net?

The goal counts for the other team no matter how it went in.

How wide is a full-size soccer goal, measured between the posts?

That is 7.32 metres, and the crossbar sits 8 feet off the ground; the size has not changed since 1863.

What acrobatic move sees a player strike the ball backwards over their own head while in midair?

It is also called an overhead kick or scissors kick.

If you dribble the ball between a defender's legs, what trick have you pulled off?

Ice hockey borrows the idea too, calling a puck between the goalie's legs the five-hole.

Which Norwegian striker scored a record 36 English top-flight goals in a season for Manchester City?

He also once scored nine goals in a single match at the under-20 World Cup.

What does Marta's nickname 'Rainha', used by fans in her home country, mean in English?

She has three Olympic silver medals and won both the Golden Ball and Golden Boot at the 2007 Women's World Cup.

Maradona's 1986 'Hand of God' goal for Argentina came against which team?

Moments later he dribbled past five players for what FIFA later voted the Goal of the Century.

Which squad number is almost always given to a team's first-choice keeper?

The backup keeper traditionally takes number 13.

How can you spot the team captain on the field?

Since the 2024-25 Laws of the Game, every team must have a captain wearing one.

Which country was the first to host the World Cup three times, in 1970, 1986 and 2026?

In 2026 it shared hosting duties with its two northern neighbours.

Which Spanish midfielder won the Golden Ball as best player of the 2026 World Cup?

He captained Spain to the title, its first since 2010.

What is the maximum number of substitutions a team can normally make in a 90-minute match?

Teams get one extra swap if the game goes to extra time.

How many World Cups has Argentina won?

Its wins came in 1978, 1986 and 2022, and it lost the 2026 final to Spain.

Soccer's video referee system for goals and red cards is known by which three letters?

It can check goals, penalty decisions, direct red cards and cases of mistaken identity.

What shape must a soccer ball be, according to the Laws of the Game?

It must measure between 68 and 70 centimetres around.

Which body part are outfield players NOT allowed to use to control the ball?

Only goalkeepers may use their hands, and only inside their own penalty area.

In roughly how many countries and territories is soccer played?

With about 250 million active players, it is the most popular sport in the world.

In what year were the Laws of the Game first written down?

The newly formed Football Association adopted them, written by its first secretary Ebenezer Cobb Morley.

Which group has looked after soccer's rules since 1886?

The International Football Association Board still makes the rules that FIFA and every league follow.

For a goal to count, how much of the ball must cross the goal line?

If any part of the ball is still on or above the line, play simply carries on.

What colour must an artificial soccer surface be under the rules?

Law 1, 'The Field of Play', sets the pitch's size and markings as well as its colour.

How can you tell the goalkeeper apart from the other players?

The keeper is the only mandatory position, so someone must always fill in if they go off.

What stops a keeper handling a ball deliberately kicked to them by a teammate?

Keepers can still pick up headers or chest passes, but not deliberate kicks from their own team.

Which Soviet goalkeeper was nicknamed the 'Black Spider' for his all-black kit?

He is also the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ballon d'Or.

Which two players are the only ones allowed inside the penalty area during a penalty kick?

Everyone else must stay outside the area and at least 10 yards from the penalty spot.

How many kicks does each team take in a normal penalty shoot-out before sudden death?

Each kick must be taken by a different player, and the goals do not count in a player's personal total.

What is it called when a corner kick flies straight into the net untouched?

They are rare because the ball must curl into the net without anyone else touching it.

Which law of the game covers offside?

A player is offside if nearer the goal line than both the ball and the second-last defender when the ball is played.

Which English referee came up with the idea of yellow and red cards?

He got the idea from traffic lights: yellow means stop if safe, red means stop.

Yellow and red cards were used for the first time at which World Cup?

The colour scheme was inspired by traffic lights so everyone could understand it in any language.

What everyday object inspired the colours of yellow and red cards?

Referee Ken Aston thought the colours would work across every language.

What were assistant referees formerly called?

They help the referee spot when the ball goes out and fouls the referee cannot see.

Who looks after the technical areas and helps with paperwork at big matches?

At the very top level there may also be video assistant referees.

How many panels does the classic black-and-white soccer ball design have?

Eigil Nielsen developed the design in 1962, and the Adidas Telstar made it famous.

Which famous Adidas ball made the black-and-white panel design a symbol of soccer?

Its truncated icosahedron shape is still the ball most people draw when they picture soccer.

In which Swiss city is FIFA's headquarters?

FIFA was founded in 1904 and now has 211 member associations.

How many national associations belong to FIFA?

Every member must also belong to one of six regional confederations, such as UEFA or CONMEBOL.

Which confederation looks after soccer in South America?

The six confederations are CAF, AFC, UEFA, CONCACAF, OFC and CONMEBOL.

In which two years was the World Cup not held because of World War II?

Otherwise it has been played every four years since 1930.

About how many people watched the 2022 World Cup final?

Around 5 billion people engaged with the tournament overall, making it the most watched event on Earth.

What was the first World Cup prize called?

Originally named Victory, it showed Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, and was used until 1970.

Which country got to keep the original World Cup trophy forever after its third title in 1970?

Sadly the trophy was stolen in 1983 and has never been found.

How much does the World Cup trophy introduced in 1974 weigh?

It is made of 18-karat gold, stands 36.8 cm high and shows two human figures holding up the Earth.

What was the Champions League called when it started in 1955?

Back then only the champions of each country's league could enter.

How many clubs play in the Premier League each season?

Each team plays 38 matches, home and away against everyone else, from August to May.

How many matches does each Premier League team play in a season?

That is two against each of the other 19 clubs, one at home and one away.

In what year was the Premier League founded?

Clubs broke away from the old First Division, which had been the top tier since 1888.

How many teams played in Major League Soccer in the 2025 season?

Twenty-seven were in the United States and three were in Canada.

MLS was founded in 1993 as part of the US bid to host which event?

The league kicked off in 1996 with ten teams and is headquartered in New York City.

How many teams played in the very first MLS season in 1996?

Two teams folded in 2002 before soccer-specific stadiums and stars like David Beckham helped the league grow.

Which country has won the Copa América the most times?

They have 16 titles and also hosted the tournament a record nine times, including the first in 1916.

Which two South American countries have never won the Copa América?

Eight of the ten CONMEBOL nations have lifted the trophy at least once since 1916.

What was the Euros called before it got its current name in 1968?

Since 2020 the Euro winner has played the Copa América champion in the Finalissima.

How many teams qualified for the 2023 Women's World Cup?

The 2023 edition was the first with 32 teams, up from 24 in 2019; co-hosts Australia and New Zealand took the first slots and the rest came through qualifying.

Which country has won the Women's World Cup twice, second only to the United States?

Japan, Norway and Spain have one title each.

In which Argentine city was Lionel Messi born?

He was born on 24 June 1987 and later scored a record 672 goals for Barcelona.

How many goals did Messi score in a single calendar year, a world record?

He also holds the record for most assists at World Cups, with 12.

How many team trophies has Messi won, more than any player in history?

He has also won six European Golden Shoes and been named the world's best player by FIFA eight times.

On which island was Cristiano Ronaldo born?

He grew up in Funchal and started at Sporting CP before joining Manchester United in 2003.

What is Cristiano Ronaldo's famous nickname?

It combines his initials with his shirt number; he has won five Ballons d'Or.

How many Champions League titles has Cristiano Ronaldo won?

He holds the competition's records for most goals (140) and most assists (42).

Which Brazilian club did Neymar first play for as a teenager?

He led Santos to the Copa Libertadores in 2011 and is Brazil's all-time top scorer with 80 goals.

Which French club is Kylian Mbappé's all-time top scorer?

He scored 256 goals for PSG and is also the top scorer in World Cup history with 22.

How old was Mbappé when he signed for PSG in 2017?

The deal was worth an eventual €180 million, making him the second-most expensive player ever.

Which Austrian club did Erling Haaland join in 2019 before Borussia Dortmund?

He started out at Norwegian clubs Bryne and Molde.

Which awards did Megan Rapinoe win at the 2019 Women's World Cup?

She scored six goals and was named the best player as the US won its fourth title.

For which NWSL club did Megan Rapinoe spend most of her career?

She won World Cups in 2015 and 2019 and Olympic gold in 2012.

How many World Cups did Alex Morgan play in for the United States?

She won in 2015 and 2019 and finished second in 2011; she also won Olympic gold in 2012.

What nickname have fans given Mohamed Salah?

He is the top foreign goalscorer in Premier League history.

David Beckham won league titles in how many different countries?

England, France, Spain and the United States, making him the only English player to do it.

How old was David Beckham when he made his Manchester United first-team debut?

He went on to win six Premier League titles and the 1999 Champions League with United.

Which MLS club is David Beckham president and co-owner of?

He also co-owns Salford City in England.

What is Zinedine Zidane's popular nickname?

He was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003.

Which player did Zidane headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final?

He was sent off but still won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.

What does Ronaldinho's nickname 'O Bruxo' mean?

He is the only player to win a World Cup, Copa América, Champions League, Copa Libertadores and Ballon d'Or.

How many goals did Pelé score in his career, a Guinness World Record?

That includes exhibition games; he was named Athlete of the Century by the IOC in 1999.

How old was Pelé when he first played for his national team?

He had joined the club Santos a year earlier at 15.

What does Maradona's nickname 'El Pibe de Oro' mean?

His small size gave him a low centre of gravity, helping him dodge defenders.

Which Italian club did Maradona lead to its first ever Serie A title?

He also played for Barcelona, Boca Juniors and Sevilla.

How many England players did Maradona dribble past for his 'Goal of the Century' in 1986?

The 60-metre run came just minutes after his 'Hand of God' goal in the same match.

Which famous three-word Catalan motto belongs to Barcelona?

It means 'more than a club'; the team was founded in 1899 and is owned by its supporters.

What does the 'Real' in Real Madrid mean?

King Alfonso XIII gave the club the title in 1920; they have worn white ever since 1902.

Since which year has Real Madrid played at the Bernabéu?

The club's members have owned it throughout its history and it was valued at $6.6 billion in 2024.

In what year did Manchester United move into Old Trafford?

They had played in Clayton before the move and won the league again in 1911.

Whom did Wayne Rooney pass in 2017 to become Manchester United's all-time top scorer?

Rooney's 250th goal for the club moved him past the 1966 World Cup winner.

What is the name of Liverpool's home ground?

The club has played there since it was founded in 1892.

What is Liverpool's famous club anthem?

It was adopted under legendary manager Bill Shankly in the 1960s.

How many German league titles had Bayern Munich won by the end of the 2025-26 season?

That includes eleven in a row from 2013 to 2023; the club was founded in 1900 by eleven players.

What are soccer boots often called in North America?

Boots for grass have studs on the bottom for grip and started out as work footwear.

A bicycle kick is also called what kind of kick?

The player throws their body backwards and scissors their legs to strike the ball in midair.

Which annual award has France Football handed out since 1956?

It started as a prize for European players only and became global in 2007.

At which Olympics was women's soccer added to the official programme?

Men's soccer has been at every Summer Games except 1896 and 1932.

Which Australian striker is famous for celebrating goals with a backflip?

She has captained Australia since 2019 and is the country's top scorer with 73 goals.

How many times has Marta been named FIFA World Player of the Year?

She holds the record for most Women's World Cup goals with 17.

Which college team did Mia Hamm help win four NCAA championships?

She won World Cups in 1991 and 1999 and Olympic golds in 1996 and 2004.

How many international goals did Abby Wambach score for the United States?

That is second on the all-time list for any player of any gender.

How old was Jude Bellingham when he became Birmingham City's youngest ever player?

He joined the club as an under-8 and later became Dortmund's youngest goalscorer too.

What is the name of Barcelona's youth academy where Lamine Yamal was trained?

At 17 he became the youngest player ever nominated for the Ballon d'Or.

Which Brazilian club did Vinícius Júnior play for before Real Madrid?

He was signed for £38 million at 16, a record for a player under 18, and joined after his 18th birthday.

Which English club is Harry Kane the all-time top scorer for?

He scored 280 goals for Spurs and is also England's record scorer with 85.

What is Christian Pulisic's nickname?

He grew up in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and started his pro career at Borussia Dortmund.

In the TV show Ted Lasso, which fictional English club does Ted coach?

Ted is an American college football coach whose optimism surprises everyone; the show won the 2021 Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Which actress plays Jules Paxton in the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham?

Parminder Nagra plays Jess Bhamra, who chases a soccer career against her parents' wishes.

What is a throw-in called in Scotland?

Throw-ins are covered by Law 15 and happen when the whole ball crosses the touchline.

Which two English-speaking FIFA countries officially use the word 'soccer' instead of 'football'?

Of 45 English-speaking members, 43 use 'football' in their official names.