World Cup Trivia Questions and Answers

From Uruguay in 1930 to the Miracle of Bern and the Hand of God, these World Cup trivia questions cover the finals, upsets and records fans still argue about. Each one has a short explanation and a fun fact, so it works as a quiz to test yourself or as a ready-made round for a pub quiz.

7 questions · Every answer explained · Fact-checked October 2026

1. 1. Who scored the infamous 'Hand of God' goal against England at the 1986 World Cup?

   • A. Pelé
   • B. Diego Maradona
   • C. Johan Cruyff
   • D. Zinedine Zidane
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   B. Diego Maradona — Diego Maradona punched the ball in during Argentina's quarter-final win over England.

   Did you know? Four minutes later he scored the 'Goal of the Century', dribbling from his own half past most of the England team.

2. 2. Which country won its first World Cup in 2010?

   • A. Netherlands
   • B. Spain
   • C. Uruguay
   • D. Germany
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   B. Spain — Spain beat the Netherlands 1–0 in South Africa, with Andrés Iniesta scoring in extra time.

   Did you know? Spain lost its opening match to Switzerland — no champion had ever done that before.

3. 3. Hosts Uruguay won the first World Cup final in 1930. Who did they beat?

   • A. Brazil
   • B. Argentina
   • C. United States
   • D. Yugoslavia
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   B. Argentina — Uruguay beat Argentina 4–2 in Montevideo.

   Did you know? The teams couldn't agree on a ball, so each half was played with a different one.

4. 4. In the 1954 'Miracle of Bern', West Germany beat which heavy favourite in the World Cup final?

   • A. Brazil
   • B. Austria
   • C. Hungary
   • D. Uruguay
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   C. Hungary — West Germany came from 2–0 down to beat Hungary's 'Mighty Magyars' 3–2.

   Did you know? Hungary had been unbeaten for four years and had thrashed West Germany 8–3 earlier in that same tournament.

5. 5. Who scored the fastest goal in World Cup history, about 11 seconds in, in 2002?

   • A. Clint Dempsey
   • B. Bryan Robson
   • C. Hakan Şükür
   • D. Václav Mašek
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   C. Hakan Şükür — Turkey's Hakan Şükür scored against South Korea in the 2002 third-place play-off.

   Did you know? Turkey went on to win the match 3–2 and finish third.

6. 6. Before Kylian Mbappé in 2022, who was the only player to score a hat-trick in a men's World Cup final?

   • A. Pelé
   • B. Geoff Hurst
   • C. Gerd Müller
   • D. Ronaldo Nazário
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   B. Geoff Hurst — Geoff Hurst scored three as England beat West Germany 4–2 in the 1966 final.

   Did you know? His second goal, which bounced down off the crossbar, is still debated today.

7. 7. Which country both hosted and won the 1934 World Cup?

   • A. France
   • B. Switzerland
   • C. Uruguay
   • D. Italy
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   D. Italy — Italy beat Czechoslovakia 2–1 after extra time in the final in Rome.

   Did you know? Uruguay, the reigning champions, boycotted the tournament — the only holders never to defend their title.