Football Trivia: Facts to Win the Sports Round

Football is the most-watched sport on Earth, which means the football round of a quiz is usually the one people are loudest about and least prepared for. Strong opinions about today's players do not win quiz points. Knowing the history, the records and the rules does. Here is what actually tends to be asked.

The World Cup

• The first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930 — and the hosts won, beating Argentina 4–2 in the final in Montevideo.
• Brazil is the only nation to have played in every World Cup finals tournament, and has won it five times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002) — more than any other country.
• Pelé is the only player to have won three World Cups — 1958, 1962 and 1970. He was 17 when he won the first.
• Miroslav Klose of Germany scored 16 World Cup goals, the record for the men's tournament.
• The fastest World Cup goal was scored by Turkey's Hakan Şükür, about 11 seconds into a match against South Korea in 2002.
• The 2026 World Cup was the first with 48 teams and the first hosted by three countries: the United States, Canada and Mexico.
• The first FIFA Women's World Cup was held in China in 1991 and won by the United States, who have won the tournament more than any other nation.

Rules People Get Wrong

Team size and time: eleven players a side, including the goalkeeper. A match lasts ninety minutes, in two halves of forty-five, plus stoppage time added by the referee.

The hat-trick: three goals by one player in a single match. They do not need to be consecutive. The term actually comes from cricket, where a bowler who took three wickets in three balls was once presented with a hat.

The offside rule: a player is offside if, when the ball is played to them by a teammate, they are in the opponents' half and nearer to the goal line than both the ball and the second-last defender (usually the last outfield player, with the goalkeeper as the last). You cannot be offside from a goal kick, throw-in or corner kick, or in your own half.

The penalty spot is 11 metres (12 yards) from the goal line.

Red and yellow cards were introduced at the 1970 World Cup. Referee Ken Aston came up with the idea while waiting at traffic lights.

History of the Game

• The modern rules were written in England in 1863, when the Football Association was founded in a London pub.
• FIFA was founded in Paris in 1904.
• The English Premier League began in 1992, replacing the old First Division as the top tier.
• The European Cup began in 1955–56 and became the UEFA Champions League in 1992. Real Madrid have won it more times than any other club.

Players and Awards

• Pelé and Diego Maradona anchor almost every "greatest ever" debate, alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
• Maradona's "Hand of God" goal came against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final. Minutes later he scored what was voted the "Goal of the Century".
• The Ballon d'Or has been awarded since 1956. Lionel Messi has won it a record eight times.
• Cristiano Ronaldo is the all-time top scorer in men's international football.

How to Prepare for the Football Round

Most football questions fall into four groups: World Cup history, famous players, club records and rules. The World Cup is the richest source — learn the hosts and winners of each tournament and you will already be ahead of most of the room. Add a handful of rules (offside, hat-trick, penalty distance) and the famous moments (Hand of God, Pelé's three titles), and you will be ready for nearly anything.

Learn the 1930 date and the Brazil facts and you will already be ahead of most of the room. Then test yourself in the free Sports quiz.