100 World Cup Facts and Trivia Every Fan Should Know

The biggest event in the history of North American sports is coming this summer. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will commence on June 11th, with matches being held throughout the U.S., Mexico and Canada. In order to get you up to speed, FOX Sports Research put together 100 trivia questions to expand your knowledge and remind you of the rich history of this tournament. We’ll be adding a question each day as we approach the opening match on June 11. Let’s take a look: 100. Who has scored in the most editions of the World Cup all time? Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal). 99. Which South American player has the most all-time World Cup goals? Ronaldo Nazário (Brazil) with 15. 98. What is the USA’s best finish at a World Cup? Semifinals (third place), in 1930. 97. What is the farthest stage Mexico has reached in the World Cup? Quarterfinals, in 1970 and 1986. 96. Who is the USA’s all-time leading World Cup goal-scorer? Landon Donovan with five. 95. How many World Cup tournaments have been held? The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the 23rd edition of the tournament. 94. Which two players share Mexico’s all-time World Cup goals record? Luis “El Matador” Hernández and Javier “Chicharito” Hernández with four each. 93. What year was the first World Cup ever held? 1930 in Uruguay. 92. How many nations have participated in every edition of the World Cup? Just one — Brazil. 91. Which player has won the most World Cups in a career? Pelé (Brazil) with three. 90. Who is the oldest player to score a goal in a World Cup match? Roger Milla (Cameroon) in 1994 against Russia at 42 years, 39 days old. 89. Who is the oldest player to score a goal in the knockout stage match of the World Cup? Pepe (Portugal) in 2022 against Switzerland at 39, 283 days old. 88. Who is the youngest player to score a goal in a World Cup match? Pelé (Brazil) in 1958 against Wales at 17 years, 239 days old. 87. Who is the youngest player to score in a World Cup final? Pelé (Brazil) in 1958 against Sweden at 17 years, 249 days old. 86. Who has appeared in the most World Cup matches all time? Lionel Messi (Argentina) with 26. 85. Who is the oldest player to ever appear in a World Cup match? Essam El-Hadary (Egypt) in 2018 against Saudi Arabia at 45 years, 161 days old. 84. Who is the oldest player to ever appear in a World Cup final? Dino Zoff (Italy) in 1982 against West Germany at 40 years, 133 days old. 83. Who is the youngest player ever to appear in a World Cup match? Norman Whiteside (Northern Ireland) against Yugoslavia at 17 years, 41 days old. 82. What is the record for most appearances in a World Cup by a single player? Five. Six players have played in five World Cups: Antonio Carbajal, Andres Guardado, Lothar Matthäus, Rafael Marquez, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. 81. Which nation has the most World Cup titles? Brazil with five. 80. Who is the all-time leading goal-scorer in the World Cup? Miroslav Klose (Germany) with 16. 79. Who are the two players to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final? Kylian Mbappé (France, 2022) and Geoff Hurst (England, 1966). 78. How many times has a nation won back-to-back World Cup titles? Twice — Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962). 77. Which nation has won the most World Cup matches? Brazil with 76. 76. Which nation has the lost the most World Cup matches? Mexico with 28. 75. Which nation has the most World Cup final appearances without ever having won? Netherlands with three final appearances (1974, 1978, 2010). 74. Which African player has the most goals scored in the World Cup? Asamoah Gyan (Ghana) with six. 73. Who has the record for most goals scored in a single World Cup match? Oleg Salenko (Russia) with five against Cameroon. 72. Since odds were first listed in 1966, which eventual champion had the longest odds to win the World Cup? Italy in 1982 at +1800. 71. Which goalkeepers have the most clean sheets in World Cup history? Peter Shilton (England) and Fabian Barthez (France) with 10 each. 70. Which nation has appeared in the most penalty shootouts at the World Cup? Argentina with seven. 69. Which World Cup had the most goals scored in a single tournament? 2022 with 172 total goals scored. 68. Who is England’s all-time leading goal-scorer at the World Cup? Gary Lineker with 12. 67. Who is Spain’s all-time leading goal-scorer at the World Cup? David Villa with nine. 66. What is the record for most goals scored by a player in a single World Cup? 13, by Just Fontaine (France) in 1958. 65. What is the record for the most saves in a single penalty shootout in a World Cup match? Three, done by three different players: 64. Where is the 2030 World Cup being held? Morocco, Portugal and Spain. 63. Who is the only player to score in the World Cup in his teens, 20s and 30s? Lionel Messi (Argentina). 62. Of the countries that have won a World Cup, which has the longest active drought since winning? Uruguay with a 76-year drought (last won in 1950). 61. Which nation holds the record for most appearances in the World Cup final? Germany with eight (1954, 1966, 1974, 1982, 1986, 1990, 2002, 2014). 60. What is the record for most consecutive World Cup champions by one confederation? Four, a UEFA team won every World Cup from 2006 to 2018 (Italy, Spain, Germany, France). 59. What is the largest margin of victory in a World Cup match? Nine goals done three times: 58. Which two players share the record for the most assists in World Cup history? (per OPTA) Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Diego Maradona (Argentina). 57. How many World Cup finals have gone to penalties? Three: 56. Which confederation has the most FIFA World Cup titles? UEFA with 12. 55. Of the 48 teams that qualified, how many are making their first appearance in the FIFA World Cup? Four: Curaçao, Uzbekistan, Cape Verde and Jordan. 54. What is the only CONCACAF team to have reached the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup? USA in 1930. 53. Which nation has finished as winner, runner-up and in third place four times at the FIFA World Cup? Germany. 52. How many times has a nation reached the FIFA World Cup finals three editions in a row? Twice: Brazil in 1994, 1998 and 2002 and Germany in 1982, 1986 and 1990. 51. Of the 48 teams that qualified, two have a manager that won the FIFA World Cup as a captain as well. Who are they? Didier Deschamps (captain of France in 1998, manager of France in 2026) and Fabio Cannavaro (captain of Italy in 2006, manager of Uzbekistan in 2026). 50. Mexico will become the first nation to host the FIFA World Cup three times. In which years did it previously host? 1970 and 1986. 49. Which nation went unbeaten in a record 16 qualifiers to reach FIFA World Cup 2026? South Korea. 48. Alphonso Davies scored Canada’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal at Qatar in 2022. Who did it come against? Croatia. 47. Of the 48 teams, which are returning to the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1974? Haiti and Congo DR (qualified as Zaire). 46. Who scored the winning goal in the 2010 FIFA World Cup final? Andrés Iniesta (Spain). 45. Who is the only goalkeeper ever to have won the Golden Ball award at the FIFA World Cup? Oliver Kahn (Germany). 44. Which player has the most minutes played at the FIFA World Cup? Lionel Messi (Argentina). 43. Which country was the first African nation to reach the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup? Cameroon in 1990. 42. Which FIFA World Cup introduced VAR (video assistant referee) technology? 2018 World Cup in Russia. 41. Which FIFA World Cup was the first to be held in Asia? 2002 in South Korea and Japan. 40. Who was the first player to score in consecutive FIFA World Cup finals? Vavá (Brazil) in 1958 and 1962. 39. Who scored the winning goal of the 2014 FIFA World Cup final? Mario Götze (Germany). 38. What was the first FIFA World Cup to use goal-line technology? 2014 World Cup in Brazil. 37. Who is Portugal’s all-time leading goalscorer at the FIFA World Cup? Eusébio (Portugal) with nine. 36. Excluding Germany, Netherlands, Italy, and France, which European countries have made the FIFA World Cup final twice? Hungary in 1938 and 1954, and Czechoslovakia (now Czechia) in 1934 and 1962. 35. Where is the 2034 FIFA World Cup being held? Saudi Arabia. 34. What is the largest margin of victory in a World Cup final? Three goals, done three times: 33. What is the record for most consecutive matches scored in, at the FIFA World Cup? Six, done twice (Just Fontaine in 1958 and Jairzinho in 1970). 32. What is the most attended FIFA World Cup match of all-time? Uruguay vs Brazil in the 1950 final, with 173,850. 31. Which FIFA World Cup had the highest average attendance of all-time? The 1994 FIFA World Cup in the U.S. at 68,991 per match. 30. What is the record for the fastest goal scored in a FIFA World Cup match? Thirteen seconds by Hakan Şükür (Turkey) in 2002. 29. What is the fastest someone has received a yellow card in a FIFA World Cup match? Eleven seconds by Jesús Gallardo (Mexico) vs Sweden in 2018. 28. What is the fastest a player has been sent off in a FIFA World Cup match? Fifty-two seconds by José Batista (Uruguay) vs Scotland in 1986. 27. Who scored the latest goal in regular time in FIFA World Cup history? Mehdi Taremi (Iran) in the 90th (+13th minute) vs England in 2022 . 26. Which manager holds the record for most FIFA World Cups won? Vittorio Pozzo (Italy, won in 1934 and 1938). 25. Which manager holds the record for most FIFA World Cups coached in? Carlos Alberto Parreira with six (1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2006, 2010). 24. What is the record for cautions given to one team in a FIFA World Cup match? Ten by Argentina vs Netherlands in 2022. 23. What is the record for total cautions by both teams in a FIFA World Cup match? Eighteen by Argentina (10) and Netherlands (eight) in 2022. 22. What is the latest round Portugal has reached in the FIFA World Cup? Semifinals, twice (1966, 2006). 21. Which country has scored the most goals in FIFA World Cup history? Brazil with 237. 20. What is the record for most career goals scored in the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup? Eight, done three times (Kylian Mbappé, Leonidas, Ronaldo). 19. How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored at the FIFA World Cup? Eight. 18. How many goals has Lionel Messi scored at the FIFA World Cup? Thirteen. 17. How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the knockout stage? Zero. 16. How many matches will be played in the 2026 FIFA World Cup? 104. 15. Which of these players won the goal of the tournament award in the 2006 FIFA World Cup? Maxi Rodríguez vs Mexico. 14. Which nation holds the record for most goals scored in a single FIFA World Cup? Hungary, 27 goals in 1954. 13. Which country has the most opening matches played in FIFA World Cup history? Mexico with five (1930, 1950, 1958, 1970, 2010). 12. What is the record for goals in a single group stage at the FIFA World Cup? 136 in 2014. 11. What was the most attended FIFA World Cup final of all-time? Uruguay vs Brazil in 1950 with 173,850. 10. Which American has played in the most FIFA World Cups? DaMarcus Beasley with four. 9. How many times has a player won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot awards in the same edition of the FIFA World Cup? Twice, Paolo Rossi (Italy) in 1982 and Salvatore Schillaci (Italy) in 1990. 8. How many individuals have won the FIFA World Cup as both a player and a manager? Three— Didier Deschamps (France), Mario Zagallo (Brazil), Franz Beckenbauer (Germany). 7. How many players have won the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Cup in the same season? Seven— Bobby Charlton (1966, England), Paolo Rossi (1982, Italy), Lothar Matthäus (1990, Germany), Zinedine Zidane (1998, France), Ronaldo (2002, Brazil), Fabio Cannavaro (2006, Italy), Lionel Messi (2022-23). 6. What is the farthest stage an African nation has ever reached in the FIFA World Cup all-time? Semifinals— Morocco in 2022. 5. What is the farthest an Asian country has gone in the FIFA World Cup? Semifinals, South Korea in 2002. 4. When was the last time a host nation won the FIFA World Cup? France in 1998. 3. Which goalkeeper has the record for most saves in a FIFA World Cup match? Tim Howard (USA) with 16 vs Belgium. 2. Who is France’s all-time leading goalscorer at the FIFA World Cup? Just Fontaine with 13. 1. Who has the most goals of any CONCACAF player in FIFA World Cup history? Landon Donovan with five.