136 Fun Facts About World Cup

Which country hosted the inaugural FIFA World Cup tournament?

Uruguay hosted and won the first-ever FIFA World Cup in 1930, celebrating the centenary of its first constitution.

Which nation has won the most FIFA World Cup titles?

Brazil's five titles were all won on foreign soil: the two World Cups it hosted, in 1950 and 2014, both ended in famous home defeats.

Which nation won the 2018 World Cup in Russia?

France beat Croatia 4–2 in Moscow in a final briefly halted when Pussy Riot protesters dressed as police officers ran onto the pitch in the second half.

Which nation beat defending champions Argentina 1–0 after extra time to win the 2026 World Cup?

Spain won through Ferran Torres's extra-time goal after ten-man Argentina had failed to manage a single shot in normal time, a first for a World Cup final.

Who found the stolen World Cup trophy in a London street a week after its 1966 theft?

A collie dog named Pickles sniffed out the newspaper-wrapped parcel while out with owner David Corbett, and both were later invited to England's World Cup victory banquet.

Which player scored a hat-trick in the 1966 final at Wembley as England beat West Germany 4-2?

Geoff Hurst's second goal bounced down off the crossbar and stood only after the referee consulted his linesman; he added a third in the last minute of extra time.

Which nation stunned England 1-0 at Belo Horizonte in the 1950 World Cup?

The United States, a team of part-timers, won through a diving header by Joe Gaetjens, a Haitian-born accounting student who was not even an American citizen.

Which two nations were shut out of the 1950 World Cup, the first held after the Second World War?

Germany and Japan, both still under Allied occupation, were absent, while Italy took its place as defending champion despite having fought on the same side.

The original World Cup trophy was renamed in 1946 in honour of which long-serving FIFA president?

Jules Rimet, FIFA president for 33 years, sailed to the first tournament in 1930 on the Conte Verde with the trophy aboard, and the cup took his name in 1946.

What new stage did the 48-team 2026 World Cup add?

A round of 32 came with the expansion: FIFA first planned 16 groups of three, then switched to 12 groups of four to reduce the risk of teams colluding.

Which stadium hosted the 2026 World Cup final on July 19?

MetLife in East Rutherford, New Jersey, had to drop its sponsor's name under FIFA rules, so the final was officially played at 'New York New Jersey Stadium'.

Which is the only stadium to have staged matches at three different World Cups (1970, 1986 and 2026)?

Estadio Azteca staged the 1970 and 1986 finals, saw Maradona score both the 'Hand of God' goal and the 'Goal of the Century' in one 1986 match, and opened the 2026 tournament.

Zayu, one of the three official mascots of the 2026 World Cup, is what kind of animal?

A jaguar in Mexico's green, Zayu plays as the trio's forward, with Maple the moose in goal and Clutch the bald eagle in midfield; all three became playable characters in a FIFA video game.

What was the name of the Adidas match ball used at the 2026 World Cup?

Trionda joins 'tri', for the three host nations, to 'onda', Spanish for wave; the ball carries a maple leaf, an eagle and a star for Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The United 2026 bid beat which rival country's bid at the 2018 FIFA Congress?

Morocco lost the vote 134 to 65 but was later chosen as a co-host of the 2030 World Cup with Spain and Portugal.

Which country co-hosted the 2002 World Cup with South Korea?

Japan and South Korea had been rival bidders until they agreed to a joint bid, which made 2002 the first World Cup in Asia and the first with two hosts.

FIFA, whose full name is French, was founded in 1904 in which city?

FIFA was born in Paris on 21 May 1904, when seven continental European associations went ahead on their own after the British home nations rejected the idea.

In which Swiss city is FIFA headquartered?

Zurich is FIFA's home, and it was at the city's Baur au Lac hotel that Swiss police arrested seven FIFA officials on corruption charges in May 2015.

Who is the only player to have won the World Cup three times?

Pelé won in 1958, 1962 and 1970, though injury ended his 1962 tournament in the second match and he only received a winner's medal for it in 2007.

Who was elected FIFA president in February 2016 after Sepp Blatter's suspension?

Gianni Infantino was UEFA's general secretary when elected, and as FIFA president he drove the expansion of the World Cup from 32 teams to 48.

Which territory was admitted to FIFA in 2016 after a long campaign opposed by Spain?

Gibraltar had to take its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport more than once before it was let into UEFA in 2013 and voted into FIFA in May 2016.

The World Cup trophy introduced in 1974, designed by Italy's Silvio Gazzaniga, shows two figures holding up what?

The Earth is lifted by two athletes in Gazzaniga's design, which beat 52 rival entries from around the world when FIFA needed a replacement for its first trophy.

In which city was the original World Cup trophy stolen in 1983, never to be recovered?

Rio de Janeiro is home to the Brazilian confederation, which had been given the trophy for good; thieves took it in December 1983 and are believed to have melted it down.

A chemist argued in 2010 that the gold World Cup trophy must be what?

Hollow, said Martyn Poliakoff of Nottingham University, who worked out that a solid gold trophy of its size would weigh at least 70 kg, far more than its actual 6 kg.

Which French forward scored the first goal in World Cup history, on 13 July 1930?

Lucien Laurent volleyed France's opener against Mexico after 19 minutes in Montevideo, the first goal in World Cup history; France won 4-1.

Which French striker scored a record 13 goals at a single World Cup?

Just Fontaine scored all 13 in six matches in 1958, his only World Cup; a double leg fracture in 1960 led him to retire at 28.

Who is the only head coach to have won two World Cups?

Vittorio Pozzo won with Italy in 1934 and 1938, when his players gave the fascist salute and, against hosts France, were ordered to play in all-black shirts.

Along with Beckenbauer and Deschamps, which Brazilian won the World Cup as both a player and a head coach?

Mário Zagallo won as a player in 1958 and 1962, coached the 1970 champions and was assistant coach in 1994, so four winning squads had him on the pitch or the bench.

From 1994 to 2006 the World Cup's best-goalkeeper prize was named after which keeper?

Lev Yashin, the Soviet 'Black Spider' who dressed in dark colours from head to toe, died in 1990, and FIFA created the award in his honour four years later.

Who headed two goals from corners as France beat Brazil 3–0 in the 1998 World Cup final?

Zinedine Zidane, sent off earlier in the tournament for a stamp on an opponent, headed in two first-half corners to put France 2–0 up by half-time.

Who left the 2026 World Cup as the competition's all-time top scorer, with 22 goals?

Kylian Mbappé scored 10 goals in 2026 to reach 22, six more than Miroslav Klose's old record of 16, and took a second Golden Boot, yet France went out in the semi-finals.

Which body, rather than FIFA alone, decides changes to the laws of football?

IFAB, set up by the four British associations in the 1880s, gives each of them one vote and FIFA four, and a law change needs six of the eight, so neither side can act alone.

Which country hosted the 2022 World Cup, staged in November and December to avoid the heat?

Qatar's summer heat pushed the tournament to 20 November–18 December, forcing Europe's major leagues to break off in mid-season; the Premier League stopped for six weeks.

The first FIFA Women's World Cup was held in 1991 in which Asian country?

China was chosen after staging a trial tournament in 1988; FIFA billed the 1991 event not as a World Cup but as a world championship "for the M&M's Cup", after its sponsor.

Which Canadian city joined Vancouver as a host of 2026 World Cup matches?

Toronto and Vancouver were Canada's two host cities after Montreal pulled out in 2021 for lack of provincial funding and Edmonton missed the final cut.

Who is the only player to win the World Cup's Golden Ball twice, in 2014 and 2022?

Lionel Messi took the award in 2014 after losing the final to Germany, then again in 2022 after scoring twice in the final Argentina won on penalties.

Which three South American nations were each given one match of the 2030 World Cup?

Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay each stage one of the opening matches, after which every team crosses the Atlantic to play on in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

Which Brazilian striker scored both goals in the 2002 World Cup final against Germany?

Ronaldo scored both goals and finished the tournament with eight, four years after playing the 1998 final hours after suffering a convulsive fit.

Which nation was the first African team to qualify for a World Cup finals, in 1934?

Egypt lost its only match 4–2 to Hungary, and no African team returned until 1970, after every African entrant boycotted the 1966 qualifiers over the lack of a guaranteed place.

The Dutch East Indies, the first Asian team at a World Cup (1938), is which country today?

Indonesia was then a Dutch colony; under the straight knockout format a single 6–0 defeat by Hungary ended its tournament after just 90 minutes.

Which 1938 event removed an already-qualified Austria from that year's World Cup?

The Anschluss of March 1938 absorbed Austria into Germany; some Austrian players joined the German squad, but the star Matthias Sindelar refused to play for Nazi Germany.

Austria beat which 1950s host nation 7–5 in the highest-scoring match in World Cup history?

Switzerland led 3–0 in 40-degree heat in Lausanne, only for Austria to score five times before half-time in a quarter-final that produced 12 goals.

Which team scored a record 27 goals at a single World Cup, in 1954, yet did not win it?

Hungary's Mighty Magyars scored 27 goals in five matches in 1954, thrashing West Germany 8-3 in the group stage before losing the final 3-2 to the same opponents.

West Germany's 3–2 upset of the heavy favourites in the 1954 final is known in Germany as what?

The Miracle of Bern saw West Germany come from two goals down to beat a team that had thrashed them 8–3 in the group stage a fortnight earlier.

Which host nation lost the 1958 World Cup final 5–2?

Sweden lost the 1958 final 5-2 to Brazil at the Råsunda Stadium in Solna on 29 June 1958, the 17-year-old Pelé scoring twice.

The violent Chile–Italy match at the 1962 World Cup, with two players sent off, became known as what?

The Battle of Santiago was stoked by two Italian journalists' scornful articles about Chile's capital; two Italians were sent off, one dragged from the pitch by police.

Ken Aston, the referee of the violent 1962 Chile–Italy match, later devised what for football?

Yellow and red cards occurred to him at a traffic light on Kensington High Street after a 1966 World Cup match, as colours that would cross any language barrier.

Which debutants beat Italy 1–0 at the 1966 World Cup on their way to the quarter-finals?

North Korea, on debut, beat Italy 1-0 at Middlesbrough through Pak Doo-ik, then led Portugal 3-0 in the quarter-final before Eusébio's four goals turned it into a 5-3 defeat.

World Cup Willie, the first official tournament mascot in 1966, was a cartoon what?

A lion, the national animal of the United Kingdom, Willie wore a Union Jack jersey and began a tradition: every World Cup since 1966 has had an official mascot.

The Adidas Telstar, the black-and-white ball of the 1970 World Cup, shared its name with what?

A communications satellite called Telstar relayed the first live transatlantic television pictures in 1962; the ball's black-and-white panels were meant to show up on black-and-white sets.

Who was top scorer at the 1970 World Cup with 10 goals?

Gerd Müller scored 10 goals at Mexico 1970, including hat-tricks against Bulgaria and Peru, and struck West Germany's winner in the 1974 final.

Who scored the fastest goal in a World Cup final, a penalty won by Cruyff in the second minute in 1974?

Johan Neeskens scored before any West German had touched the ball, but Paul Breitner replied with a penalty of his own and the hosts won 2–1.

The fluid Dutch style pioneered at Ajax that dazzled at the 1974 World Cup was called what?

Total Football let any outfield player take over a teammate's position; coach Rinus Michels developed it at Ajax with Johan Cruyff and took it to the national team.

Which team made its only World Cup appearance in 1974, beating the eventual champions 1–0?

East Germany beat the hosts 1–0 in Hamburg through Jürgen Sparwasser, who defected to the West in 1988, the year before the Berlin Wall fell.

Who was top scorer of the 1978 World Cup with six goals for the host nation?

Mario Kempes scored six goals for hosts Argentina in 1978, including two in the final, which Argentina won 3-1 after extra time against the Netherlands.

Which Italian striker won the 1982 Golden Boot weeks after returning from a two-year ban?

Paolo Rossi, banned over the Totonero betting scandal, scored all six of his goals in Italy's last three matches, starting with a hat-trick against Brazil.

West Germany's lifeless 1–0 win over Austria in 1982, the 'Disgrace of Gijón', eliminated whom?

The 1-0 result sent West Germany and Austria through on goal difference at Algeria's expense, and FIFA responded by making final group matches kick off simultaneously from 1986.

Who broke Pelé's record in 1982 to become the youngest player in World Cup history, at 17?

Norman Whiteside was 17 years 41 days old when Northern Ireland faced Yugoslavia, less than two months after his Manchester United debut as a 16-year-old substitute.

Which 40-year-old goalkeeper is the oldest player ever to win the World Cup, in 1982?

Dino Zoff captained Italy to the 1982 title at 40 years 133 days, having made a goal-line save in the final minutes to preserve the 3–2 win over Brazil.

Maradona called his 1986 handball goal 'symbolic revenge' for which conflict?

The Falklands War had ended in Argentina's defeat four years earlier; after the match Maradona said the goal was scored 'a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God'.

Who won the 1986 Golden Boot with six goals?

Gary Lineker's six goals included a first-half hat-trick against Poland, two against Paraguay and England's consolation in the 2-1 quarter-final defeat by Argentina.

Which country was originally chosen to host the 1986 World Cup but withdrew in 1982?

Colombia, awarded the 1986 finals in 1974, withdrew in November 1982 because FIFA's expansion from 16 to 24 teams made the cost unaffordable; Mexico took over in 1983.

Which team became the first African side to reach a World Cup quarter-final, in 1990?

Cameroon opened Italia 90 by beating holders Argentina 1-0, then lost the quarter-final 3-2 to England after extra time, two Lineker penalties deciding it.

Which substitute striker became Italy's surprise star of the 1990 World Cup?

Salvatore Schillaci had made his Italy debut only ten weeks earlier, came off the bench to score against Austria, and finished as the tournament's top scorer with six goals.

Who became the oldest World Cup goalscorer at 42, in 1994?

Roger Milla was 42 years 39 days old when he scored against Russia; he had quit international football and was playing on Réunion when his country's president phoned to coax him back for the 1990 World Cup.

Who scored a record five goals in one World Cup match, for Russia in 1994?

Oleg Salenko hit five against Cameroon and shared the Golden Boot with six goals, yet Russia went out in the group stage and he never played for his country again.

Which Colombian was shot dead in 1994, days after his own goal against the United States?

Andrés Escobar, called 'The Gentleman' for his clean style of play, was shot after a night out in Medellín, a killing widely believed to be punishment for the own goal.

Which debutant nation finished third at the 1998 World Cup?

Croatia, in its first World Cup as an independent nation, knocked out Germany 3–0 in the quarter-finals, and Davor Šuker won the Golden Boot with six goals.

Who scored the fastest World Cup goal, straight from kick-off in the 2002 third-place match?

Hakan Şükür scored after 10.8 seconds in Daegu, even though South Korea had kicked off; Turkey won the 2002 third-place match 3-2.

Who is the only goalkeeper ever to win the World Cup Golden Ball, in 2002?

Oliver Kahn had conceded only one goal before the final, where his fumble of a Rivaldo shot gifted Brazil the opener in a 2–0 defeat.

In extra time of the 2006 World Cup final, the last match of his career, Zinedine Zidane headbutted which Italian?

Marco Materazzi had pulled at Zidane's jersey after an exchange of words; both men had scored their side's only goal in the final.

Which team played its only World Cup under that name in 2006, weeks after a split referendum?

Serbia and Montenegro was breaking up after Montenegro voted for independence just before the tournament, but with no time to form two squads the team that had qualified played on as one.

Who scored the first goal of the 2010 World Cup, for the hosts against Mexico?

Siphiwe Tshabalala's 55th-minute strike at Soccer City put South Africa ahead in a 1-1 draw with Mexico, though the hosts became the first to go out in the group stage.

The name of the 2010 match ball, Jabulani, means what in Zulu?

Jabulani means 'be happy' in isiZulu, yet England goalkeeper David James called the ball dreadful, and NASA's Ames Research Center tested its erratic 'knuckleball' flight.

Paul, the oracle who called all eight of his 2010 World Cup predictions correctly, was what animal?

An octopus at an aquarium in Oberhausen, Paul chose between two food boxes marked with the teams' flags and got all seven Germany matches and the final right.

Whose 116th-minute volley won Spain the 2010 World Cup final?

Andrés Iniesta volleyed in a Cesc Fàbregas pass, then pulled off his shirt to reveal a tribute to his late friend Dani Jarque, which earned him a yellow card.

What is the plastic horn whose constant drone became the sound of the 2010 World Cup?

The vuvuzela, a plastic horn, produces around 120 decibels at close range, and UEFA banned it from its competitions after the 2010 tournament.

By what score did Germany beat hosts Brazil in the 2014 semi-final?

Germany won 7-1 in Belo Horizonte on 8 July 2014, scoring four goals in six first-half minutes; it was Brazil's heaviest defeat since a 6-0 loss to Uruguay in 1920.

Who scored the 113th-minute winner in the 2014 World Cup final?

Mario Götze, a substitute, chested down André Schürrle's cross and volleyed in after 113 minutes to beat Argentina 1-0 at the Maracanã.

Who won the 2014 Golden Boot with six goals?

James Rodríguez took the award even though Colombia went out in the quarter-finals; his chest-and-volley against Uruguay also won the Puskás Award for goal of the year.

Which team beat eventual champions Argentina 2–1 in their opening match of the 2022 World Cup?

Saudi Arabia came from behind with goals by Saleh Al-Shehri and Salem Al-Dawsari early in the second half after Messi's penalty, winning 2-1 on 22 November 2022.

Which stadium hosted the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France?

Lusail Stadium, the tournament's largest ground, saw Argentina win on penalties after France twice came from behind in a 3–3 draw.

Which country entered all 22 World Cup qualifying campaigns from 1934 to 2026 without ever reaching the finals?

Luxembourg has never qualified, though in a 1961 qualifier it beat Portugal 4–2 on the day Eusébio made his international debut.

Which goalkeeper became the oldest player in World Cup history, at 45?

Essam El-Hadary was 45 years 161 days old when he kept goal for Egypt against Saudi Arabia on 25 June 2018, saving a penalty in a 2-1 defeat.

Which Mexican goalkeeper, 'El Cinco Copas', was the first footballer to play at five World Cups?

Antonio Carbajal kept goal at every World Cup from 1950 to 1966, though Mexico did not win a match until his fourth tournament, beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in 1962.

Whose goal with eleven minutes left won the 1950 decider for Uruguay at the Maracanã?

Alcides Ghiggia beat Barbosa at his near post in the 79th minute for a 2-1 win; the last survivor of the match, he died on its 65th anniversary, 16 July 2015.

Which Motown star missed a staged penalty kick during the 1994 World Cup opening ceremony in Chicago?

Diana Ross dragged her shot wide of the goal, yet the goalposts still split apart exactly as the stunt had planned.

Which Uruguay striker was banned for four months for biting Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup?

Luis Suárez was biting an opponent for the third time in his career, after earlier incidents in the Dutch and English leagues.

Which England midfielder was sent off against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup for kicking out at Diego Simeone?

David Beckham was widely blamed for England's elimination, and an effigy of him was hung outside a London pub.

Which Italian star, nicknamed the Divine Ponytail, blazed the decisive penalty over the bar in the 1994 final?

Roberto Baggio had carried Italy through the knockout rounds with five goals, then missed the kick that settled the first final decided on penalties.

Stadium 974, a modular waterfront venue at the 2022 World Cup, was built using 974 recycled what?

Shipping containers gave the stadium its name twice over: 974 is also the host country's international dialling code.

Which sticker maker published its first World Cup album for the 1970 tournament, starting a playground swapping craze?

Panini printed multilingual captions for the 1970 album and sold its stickers outside Italy for the first time.

Which team beat American Samoa 31–0 in a 2001 World Cup qualifier, a record score for an international match?

Australia's Archie Thompson scored 13 of the goals, another world record, while the stadium scoreboard wrongly showed 32–0 at the end.

Every team to reach a World Cup final has come from Europe or which other part of the world?

South America and Europe have supplied every finalist, so no team from the rest of the world has gone beyond the semi-finals.

Which shirt colour did Brazil drop as their first choice after losing the 1950 World Cup decider at home?

White was criticised as unpatriotic after the defeat, and a design competition produced the yellow shirt with green trim first worn in 1954.

Which Puerto Rican singer recorded 'The Cup of Life', the official song of the 1998 World Cup?

Ricky Martin performed it at the 1998 final in front of more than a billion television viewers around the world.

Which country, whose team is nicknamed Bafana Bafana, became the first on its continent to host a World Cup?

South Africa won the hosting vote in 2004, then became the first host nation ever eliminated in the first round.

Which England captain won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup with six goals?

Harry Kane scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 win over Panama and both goals against Tunisia, the winner a header in injury time.

Which Dutch captain left defender Jan Olsson stranded at the 1974 World Cup with a turn now named after him?

Johan Cruyff feigned a pass, dragged the ball behind his standing leg and spun away, at what proved to be his only World Cup.

Which England midfielder wept after a yellow card in the 1990 semi-final ruled him out of a possible final?

Paul Gascoigne became so famous for his tears that the satirical show Spitting Image built a puppet of him that squirted them.

Which England captain was arrested in Bogotá on the eve of the 1970 World Cup, accused of stealing a bracelet?

Bobby Moore was conditionally released days later, flew to Mexico and played in every one of England's matches.

The original World Cup trophy, awarded from 1930 to 1970, depicted which winged Greek goddess holding up a cup?

Nike, the ancient goddess of victory, was sculpted for the trophy by Frenchman Abel Lafleur in gold-plated silver on a base of lapis lazuli.

Which England goalkeeper made a diving save from a Brazilian header in 1970 that is often called the greatest ever?

Gordon Banks then missed the quarter-final through illness, and England lost it to West Germany without him.

Which Puccini aria, sung by Luciano Pavarotti, became the theme of the BBC's coverage of the 1990 World Cup?

Nessun dorma was also sung at the first Three Tenors concert, held in Rome on the eve of the 1990 final.

What did the 1930 World Cup final switch at half-time because the two finalists could not agree on whose to use?

The match ball came from Argentina in the first half and from their opponents in the second, a compromise brokered by FIFA.

Which team knocked holders Germany out of the 2018 World Cup with two goals in stoppage time?

South Korea's 2–0 win sent Germany home in the first round for the first time since 1938, though the victors were eliminated as well.

Whose shot against Germany at the 2010 World Cup bounced well over the goal line but was never awarded?

Frank Lampard struck 53 seconds after England's first goal and would have made it 2–2; goal-line technology was approved two years later.

The mascot of the 1982 World Cup in Spain was a smiling cartoon version of which fruit, dressed in football kit?

An orange called Naranjito, he wore the host team's kit and later starred in an animated series alongside a lemon named Citronio.

Which Italian referee, nicknamed Kojak for his bald head, took charge of the 2002 World Cup final?

Pierluigi Collina lost all his hair to alopecia as a young referee and was named the world's best referee six years running, from 1998 to 2003.

Which Croatia captain won the Golden Ball as best player of the 2018 World Cup despite losing the final?

Luka Modrić added the Ballon d'Or that December, ending a ten-year hold on the award by two other players.

Before lifting the trophy at the 2022 World Cup, Argentina's captain was draped in which traditional Arab cloak?

A bisht is worn over the robe on special occasions such as weddings, and the host country's ruler placed this one on his shoulders.

Which African team missed a last-minute penalty for a 2010 semi-final place after a handball on the goal line?

Ghana's Asamoah Gyan hit the crossbar with the penalty at the end of extra time, and Uruguay then won the shoot-out 4–2.

Which Portugal striker, nicknamed the Black Panther, was top scorer at the 1966 World Cup with nine goals?

Eusébio's nine goals carried Portugal to third place, and admirers also called him the Black Pearl and simply the King.

Which bow-legged Brazilian winger, whose nickname means wren, starred as his country won the 1962 World Cup?

Garrincha took charge after an injury to Brazil's biggest star, and adoring fans called him the Bent-Legged Angel.

Which Italy captain lifted the 2006 World Cup and won that year's Ballon d'Or, a rare feat for a defender?

Fabio Cannavaro was nicknamed the Berlin Wall as Italy conceded only two goals in the tournament, neither from open play.

Which Manchester United midfielder was sent home from Saipan before the 2002 World Cup after rowing with his manager?

Roy Keane was his country's captain, and his long walks with his Labrador, Triggs, drew the cameras once he was back home.

Which Dutch striker scored with a diving, looping header against the defending champions at the 2014 World Cup?

Robin van Persie met a long ball from Daley Blind 15 yards out, the equaliser in what became a 5–1 rout of the holders.

Which Brazilian's 40-yard free kick sailed over England goalkeeper David Seaman in a 2002 World Cup quarter-final?

Ronaldinho was sent off seven minutes later for a foul on Danny Mills, but Brazil held on to win 2–1.

Which American goalkeeper, nicknamed the Secretary of Defense, set a World Cup saves record against Belgium in 2014?

Tim Howard kept a match dominated by Belgium goalless for 90 minutes before his team finally lost in extra time.

Which underdog topped a 2014 World Cup group containing three former champions, England, Italy and Uruguay?

Costa Rica went through the group unbeaten and reached the quarter-finals, where they lost only in a penalty shoot-out.

Which Brazilian right-back is the only player to appear in three consecutive World Cup finals, from 1994 to 2002?

Cafu won two of the three and lifted the trophy as captain in 2002, shouting a declaration of love to his wife from the podium.

Which Brazilian striker celebrated a 1994 World Cup goal by rocking an imaginary baby, days after his son's birth?

Bebeto's wife had given birth two days before the quarter-final in Dallas, and the boy, Mattheus, grew up to become a footballer too.

Which Germany goalkeeper consulted a note tucked in his sock during the 2006 World Cup shoot-out against Argentina?

Jens Lehmann saved two of the kicks, although only two of the seven players listed on the sheet actually took a penalty.

Which team was the only side to finish the 2010 World Cup unbeaten, yet still went out in the group stage?

New Zealand, one of the lowest-ranked teams at the tournament, drew all three of their group matches.

The 1969 Football War, named for rioting at World Cup qualifiers, was fought between El Salvador and which neighbour?

Honduras and El Salvador fought for about 100 hours; El Salvador then reached the 1970 finals and lost all three of its matches.

The two green bands around the base of the FIFA World Cup Trophy are made of which semi-precious mineral?

Malachite rings a trophy whose underside is engraved with the year and name of every winning nation since 1974.

Which English referee mistakenly showed Croatia's Josip Šimunić three yellow cards in a single 2006 World Cup match?

Graham Poll said he had written the second booking in the wrong column, thrown by the defender's Australian accent.

Which team reached the 1990 World Cup quarter-finals on its debut without winning a match inside 90 minutes?

The Republic of Ireland drew all three group games, then beat Romania on penalties before losing 1–0 to Italy.

Which African debutants' defender ran from the wall and booted away a Brazil free kick at the 1974 World Cup?

Zaire's Mwepu Ilunga was booked for it, and later said he knew the rules perfectly well and had been hoping to be sent off.

Which Italy midfielder's tearful, fist-shaking sprint after scoring in the 1982 final became a famous World Cup image?

Marco Tardelli's celebration is known as the Tardelli cry, and in 2014 the BBC ranked it the fourth greatest World Cup moment.

Whose 85th-minute penalty won the 1990 World Cup final for West Germany against Argentina?

Andreas Brehme struck it with his right foot, having scored a shoot-out penalty at the previous World Cup with his left.

The 1950 World Cup is the only one whose winner was decided by what, rather than a single title match?

A final group stage of four teams settled the title on points, so the famous last game in Rio was a decider without officially being a final.

The 'Russian linesman' who allowed England's disputed third goal in the 1966 final actually came from which country?

Azerbaijan renamed its national stadium after Tofiq Bahramov following his death in 1993; he was a Soviet citizen but never Russian.

Which France defender scored the first golden goal in World Cup history, against Paraguay in 1998?

Laurent Blanc then missed the final itself, suspended after being sent off in the semi-final for raising a hand to an opponent's face.

Which Dutch goalkeeper was sent on in the last seconds of a 2014 quarter-final purely to face the penalty shoot-out?

Tim Krul saved two of the kicks after replacing Jasper Cillessen, and his team-mates scored all four of theirs.

Which Uruguay striker won the Golden Ball as best player of the 2010 World Cup after scoring five goals?

Diego Forlán's five goals carried Uruguay to the semi-finals for the first time since 1970.