Most soccer trivia lists recycle the same ten facts about Pelé and the offside rule. This one goes a lot wider — a big World Cup history section (including a fresh batch from the 2026 tournament that just wrapped up), a proper look at the world’s great clubs from Real Madrid to Boca Juniors, European football, the actual rules of the game, and a smaller (but still solid) Australian section covering the Socceroos, Matildas and A-League. If footy trivia is your thing, our 70 Best NRL Trivia Questions & Answers and 80 Best Bluey Trivia Questions & Answers are worth a look too.
Jump to a category: World Cup History & Records · Legendary Clubs Around the World · Premier League & European Football · Legends & Global Records · Rules & Officiating · Socceroos · Matildas · A-League · Bonus Round
Best 200 Soccer Trivia Questions & Answers
World Cup History & Records
1. Who won the very first FIFA World Cup, and where was it held?
Answer: Uruguay, in 1930 — as hosts, they beat Argentina 4-2 in the final in Montevideo.
2. What is the “Maracanazo,” and why does it still sting in Brazil?
Answer: Uruguay’s shock 2-1 win over Brazil in the deciding match of the 1950 World Cup, played in front of roughly 200,000 fans at Rio’s Maracanã Stadium — a result still considered one of the biggest upsets in football history.
3. What was the “Miracle of Bern”?
Answer: West Germany’s stunning 3-2 win over Hungary’s heavily favoured “Golden Team” in the 1954 World Cup final, despite Hungary having thrashed them 8-3 earlier in the same tournament.
4. Which country hosted and won the 1966 World Cup?
Answer: England, beating West Germany 4-2 in the final at Wembley.
5. Who is the only player to score a hat-trick in a men’s World Cup final, before 2022?
Answer: England’s Geoff Hurst, in the 1966 final — a record that stood alone for 56 years.
6. Why did Brazil get to keep the original Jules Rimet Trophy permanently?
Answer: Winning the 1970 World Cup was their third title, and the rules at the time stated that the first nation to win three World Cups would keep the trophy outright.
7. Which country hosted and won the 1978 World Cup?
Answer: Argentina.
8. Which player became the face of Cameroon’s historic run to the 1990 World Cup quarter-finals, famous for his corner-flag goal celebrations?
Answer: Roger Milla — Cameroon became the first African nation to reach the quarter-finals.
9. Which country hosted the 1994 World Cup, the only men’s tournament held there to date?
Answer: The United States.
10. How was the 1994 World Cup final decided, and who missed the crucial kick?
Answer: Brazil beat Italy on penalties after a goalless draw; Italy’s Roberto Baggio famously skied the decisive spot-kick over the bar.
11. Which country hosted and won the 1998 World Cup?
Answer: France, beating Brazil 3-0 in the final.
12. Which was the first World Cup held in Asia, and which two countries co-hosted it?
Answer: The 2002 World Cup, co-hosted by Japan and South Korea — with South Korea making a surprise run to the semi-finals.
13. Which country won its first-ever World Cup title in 2010?
Answer: Spain, beating the Netherlands 1-0 in the final thanks to a late Andrés Iniesta winner.
14. What is the “Mineirazo”?
Answer: Germany’s stunning 7-1 demolition of host nation Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semi-final in Belo Horizonte — Germany went on to win the tournament.
15. Which country won its second World Cup title in 2018, and who did they beat in the final?
Answer: France, beating Croatia 4-2 — Croatia’s first-ever World Cup final appearance.
16. Who won the 2022 World Cup, and who scored a final hat-trick for the losing side?
Answer: Argentina won their first title since 1986 (and Lionel Messi’s first), beating France on penalties after a 3-3 draw — France’s Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick in the final, the first since Geoff Hurst in 1966.
17. Who won the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
Answer: Spain, beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — their second title, 16 years after 2010.
18. Who scored the winning goal in the 2026 final?
Answer: Substitute Ferran Torres, in the 106th minute, after Nico Williams headed a Pedro Porro cross into his path.
19. Which Argentine player was sent off in the 2026 final, leaving his side down to 10 men?
Answer: Enzo Fernández, shown a second yellow card in second-half stoppage time.
20. Which goalkeeper made a reported 11 saves in the 2026 final, the most ever by a keeper in a final, yet still ended up on the losing side?
Answer: Argentina’s Emiliano Martínez.
21. Where and when was the opening match of the 2026 World Cup played?
Answer: Mexico City, on 11 June 2026 — making Mexico the first country to host World Cup matches across three different tournaments (1970, 1986 and 2026).
22. How many teams competed at the 2026 World Cup, up from the previous 32?
Answer: 48 teams, across 104 matches in 16 host cities across the USA, Mexico and Canada.
23. Which country finished fourth at the 2026 World Cup after a wild third-place playoff loss?
Answer: France, who lost the third-place match to England 6-4.
24. Which player scored a hat-trick on the very first matchday of the 2026 World Cup group stage?
Answer: Lionel Messi, for Argentina.
25. Argentina came agonisingly close to a repeat title in 2026. What record did it deny them?
Answer: Becoming the first team to defend the World Cup in over 60 years.
26. Who holds the record for the fastest goal in World Cup history?
Answer: Turkey’s Hakan Şükür, who scored just 10.8 seconds into the third-place match at the 2002 World Cup.
27. Which country has won the most World Cups?
Answer: Brazil, with five titles (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002).
28. Which player became the first man to score in five separate World Cups?
Answer: Cristiano Ronaldo, across 2006 to 2022.
29. Which was the first World Cup to use a female referee for a men’s match?
Answer: The 2022 Qatar World Cup, where France’s Stephanie Frappart took charge of Germany vs Costa Rica.
30. Which small European nation stunned the football world by qualifying for the 2018 World Cup with a population of around 330,000?
Answer: Iceland — the smallest nation ever to qualify for a men’s World Cup.
31. What is the “Hand of God”?
Answer: Diego Maradona’s infamous handball goal for Argentina against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final, which the referee allowed to stand.
32. Who is the youngest player to score at a World Cup?
Answer: Pelé, aged 17, for Brazil against Wales in 1958.
33. Which team was the first host nation to fail to get out of the group stage?
Answer: South Africa, at their own 2010 World Cup.
34. What was the “Disgrace of Gijón”?
Answer: A 1-0 West Germany win over Austria at the 1982 World Cup, where both teams appeared to play out the final stretch passively once the scoreline guaranteed both nations would progress at Algeria’s expense.
35. Which country holds the record for the biggest win in World Cup finals history?
Answer: Hungary, who beat El Salvador 10-1 in 1982.
36. In which World Cup was the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system used for the first time?
Answer: The 2018 Russia World Cup.
37. Who is the only man to win a World Cup as both player and head coach?
Answer: Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany, player in 1974, coach in 1990) and Mário Zagallo (Brazil, player in 1958/1962, coach in 1970) both share this distinction.
38. Which nation has appeared in the most World Cup finals without ever winning one?
Answer: The Netherlands, having lost three finals (1974, 1978, 2010).
39. What happened to the original Jules Rimet Trophy after Brazil won it outright?
Answer: It was stolen in Brazil in 1983 and never recovered — believed to have been melted down.
40. What happened to the trophy during the lead-up to the 1966 World Cup in England?
Answer: It was stolen from a public exhibition in London and later found, wrapped in newspaper, by a dog named Pickles.
Legendary Clubs Around the World
41. Which club has won the UEFA Champions League/European Cup the most times?
Answer: Real Madrid, with 15 titles.
42. What is Real Madrid’s nickname?
Answer: Los Blancos (“The Whites”), also sometimes called Los Merengues.
43. What European Cup record still belongs to Real Madrid from the competition’s earliest years?
Answer: They won the first five editions in a row, from 1956 to 1960 — still the record for most consecutive titles.
44. Which club sits second on the all-time Champions League title list, with seven?
Answer: AC Milan.
45. What is Boca Juniors’ nickname?
Answer: Xeneize (a reference to the club’s Genoese immigrant roots in Buenos Aires).
46. What is the name of Boca Juniors’ famous home stadium?
Answer: La Bombonera.
47. What is the Boca Juniors vs River Plate rivalry known as?
Answer: El Superclásico, regarded as one of the fiercest derbies in world football.
48. Which club holds the record for the most Copa Libertadores titles, South America’s equivalent of the Champions League?
Answer: Independiente, with seven, earning them the nickname “Rey de Copas” (King of Cups).
49. What unique feat did Independiente achieve in the 1970s that no club has matched since?
Answer: They won four consecutive Copa Libertadores titles, from 1972 to 1975.
50. How many Copa Libertadores titles has Boca Juniors won?
Answer: Six.
51. How many Copa Libertadores titles has River Plate won?
Answer: Four.
52. Which Brazilian club won the Copa Libertadores in 2025, claiming their fourth title?
Answer: Flamengo.
53. Who is the Copa Libertadores’ all-time leading goalscorer, and it isn’t a Brazilian or Argentine?
Answer: Ecuador’s Alberto Spencer, with 54 goals, mostly for Uruguay’s Peñarol.
54. What is the name of Barcelona’s home stadium?
Answer: The Camp Nou (currently undergoing renovation).
55. What is Barcelona’s famous club motto?
Answer: “Més que un club” — “More than a club.”
56. Which club is most closely associated with the “Total Football” philosophy of the 1970s?
Answer: Ajax, alongside Johan Cruyff and coach Rinus Michels.
57. What is the name of Bayern Munich’s home stadium?
Answer: The Allianz Arena.
58. What is Liverpool’s anthem, sung before every home match?
Answer: “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
59. What is Manchester United’s nickname?
Answer: The Red Devils.
60. Which state-backed ownership group has run Manchester City since 2008?
Answer: Abu Dhabi United Group, part of the wider City Football Group.
61. What is Arsenal’s nickname?
Answer: The Gunners.
62. What was Arsenal’s home ground before they moved to the Emirates Stadium?
Answer: Highbury.
63. What is the name of Chelsea’s home stadium?
Answer: Stamford Bridge.
64. What is Juventus’ nickname?
Answer: “La Vecchia Signora” — “The Old Lady.”
65. Which Italian club has won more Serie A titles than any other?
Answer: Juventus, by a considerable margin.
66. What rare feat did Inter Milan achieve in 2010 under coach José Mourinho?
Answer: A treble — winning Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League in the same season.
67. What is Borussia Dortmund’s stadium nicknamed, famous for its enormous standing terrace?
Answer: The “Yellow Wall,” at Signal Iduna Park.
68. Which club won back-to-back Champions League titles in 2025 and 2026?
Answer: Paris Saint-Germain, joining a small group of clubs to have defended the title.
69. Who did PSG beat in the 2026 Champions League final, and how?
Answer: Arsenal, winning 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
70. Which club pulled off one of football’s great underdog stories by winning the 2004 Champions League under a young José Mourinho?
Answer: Porto.
71. What is Benfica’s nickname?
Answer: “As Águias” — “The Eagles.”
72. Which club became the first British side to win the European Cup, in 1967?
Answer: Celtic — that squad became known as the “Lisbon Lions.”
73. Which Brazilian club, nicknamed “Mengão,” is one of the most-supported clubs in the world?
Answer: Flamengo.
74. Which Brazilian club did Pelé play for throughout the vast majority of his career?
Answer: Santos.
75. Which club is the most successful in the history of the CAF Champions League, Africa’s top club competition?
Answer: Egypt’s Al Ahly.
Premier League & European Football
76. Which club has won the most Premier League titles since the competition’s 1992 rebrand?
Answer: Manchester United, though Manchester City has closed the gap significantly in recent years.
77. Which club completed an unbeaten Premier League season, earning the nickname “The Invincibles”?
Answer: Arsenal, in 2003-04.
78. Which clubs share the record for the biggest win in Premier League history?
Answer: Several clubs share a 9-0 scoreline, including Manchester United (twice) and Leicester City.
79. Who is the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer?
Answer: Alan Shearer, with 260 goals.
80. Which club won an unlikely Premier League title in 2015-16 at odds of 5000-1?
Answer: Leicester City.
81. Which player scored the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history?
Answer: Sadio Mané, netting three goals in two minutes 56 seconds for Southampton against Aston Villa in 2015.
82. Which club has won more La Liga titles than any other in Spain?
Answer: Real Madrid.
83. What is the rivalry match between Barcelona and Real Madrid known as?
Answer: El Clásico.
84. What is the name of the Real Madrid vs Atlético Madrid derby?
Answer: El Derbi Madrileño.
85. Which German club has won the most Bundesliga titles?
Answer: Bayern Munich, by a large margin.
86. Which club has dominated France’s Ligue 1 through most of the 2010s and 2020s?
Answer: Paris Saint-Germain.
87. Which competition sits below the Champions League as Europe’s second-tier club competition?
Answer: The UEFA Europa League.
88. What is the newest of the three UEFA club competitions, launched in 2021?
Answer: The UEFA Europa Conference League.
89. In what year was the modern Premier League founded, as a rebrand of England’s old First Division?
Answer: 1992.
90. What is the name of the fierce derby between Liverpool and Everton, two clubs sharing the same city?
Answer: The Merseyside Derby.
91. What is the name of the Manchester United vs Manchester City derby?
Answer: The Manchester Derby.
92. What is the name of the Arsenal vs Tottenham Hotspur derby?
Answer: The North London Derby.
93. What is the name of the AC Milan vs Inter Milan derby, both of whom share the San Siro stadium?
Answer: The Derby della Madonnina.
94. What is the name of the Juventus vs Torino derby?
Answer: The Derby della Mole.
95. What is the nickname for the fierce rivalry between Celtic and Rangers in Scotland?
Answer: The Old Firm.
96. Does English football use a promotion and relegation system between divisions?
Answer: Yes — unlike Australia’s A-League or America’s MLS, clubs can be relegated out of the Premier League and promoted into it each season.
97. Which club won the 2026 UEFA Champions League final on penalties, going back-to-back?
Answer: Paris Saint-Germain, beating Arsenal.
98. Which stadium is regarded as English football’s national stadium, hosting FA Cup finals and England internationals?
Answer: Wembley Stadium, in London.
99. What competition sits alongside the league as English football’s oldest domestic cup competition?
Answer: The FA Cup, first played in 1871-72.
100. What is the term for a match between two clubs from the same city or a fierce geographic rivalry?
Answer: A derby.
Legends & Global Records
101. Which player has the most Ballon d’Or wins in history?
Answer: Lionel Messi, with eight.
102. How many World Cups did Pelé win as a player?
Answer: Three — 1958, 1962 and 1970 — still the record for any individual.
103. Who is the all-time leading goalscorer across men’s World Cup history?
Answer: Germany’s Miroslav Klose, with 16 goals across four tournaments.
104. Which player scored 13 goals at a single World Cup, a record that has stood since 1958?
Answer: France’s Just Fontaine.
105. Who is generally recognised as the record holder for international goals scored, across men’s and women’s football?
Answer: Canada’s Christine Sinclair, with 190 international goals.
106. Which player is widely credited with popularising the “Cruyff Turn”?
Answer: Johan Cruyff, who used it at the 1974 World Cup.
107. Which country produced the “Total Football” style that revolutionised the game in the 1970s?
Answer: The Netherlands, most associated with Cruyff and Ajax.
108. Which nickname was given to Franz Beckenbauer for his elegant, attacking style as a defender?
Answer: “Der Kaiser” (“The Emperor”).
109. Which goalkeeper is widely credited with pioneering the modern “sweeper-keeper” style?
Answer: Germany’s Manuel Neuer.
110. What infamous incident is Zinedine Zidane remembered for in his final match, the 2006 World Cup final?
Answer: He headbutted Italy’s Marco Materazzi in extra time and was sent off — France went on to lose the final on penalties.
111. Which Manchester United and Northern Ireland legend was nicknamed the “Fifth Beatle” for his celebrity status in the 1960s?
Answer: George Best.
112. Which Brazilian playmaker, known for his skill and permanent smile, starred for Barcelona and AC Milan in the 2000s?
Answer: Ronaldinho.
113. Which goalkeeper remains the only one to ever win the Ballon d’Or?
Answer: The USSR’s Lev Yashin, in 1963.
114. Who is widely considered the greatest women’s footballer in history, and holds the record for most goals scored at Women’s World Cups?
Answer: Brazil’s Marta, with 17 World Cup goals.
115. Which USA player, an American women’s football icon, captained the USA to the 2019 Women’s World Cup title?
Answer: Megan Rapinoe.
116. Which player was, before Christine Sinclair, previously seen as football’s all-time leading international scorer across genders?
Answer: USA’s Abby Wambach.
117. Which two Barcelona players have dominated the Ballon d’Or Féminin in recent years?
Answer: Spain’s Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí.
118. Which player is the only African to have ever won the Ballon d’Or, and later became president of his home country?
Answer: George Weah, of Liberia — winner in 1995, later elected Liberia’s president in 2018.
119. Which Portuguese and Benfica legend, nicknamed the “Black Panther,” was the top scorer at the 1966 World Cup?
Answer: Eusébio.
120. Which German striker, playing largely in the 1960s and 70s, still holds numerous individual scoring records for club and country?
Answer: Gerd Müller.
121. Which England and Manchester United star became one of football’s first truly global commercial superstars, famous for his free kicks?
Answer: David Beckham.
122. Which small handful of players have won a World Cup, a Champions League and an Olympic gold medal?
Answer: Brazil’s Neymar is among the small group to hold this treble.
123. Which Argentine great is remembered both for the “Hand of God” and, in the same match, one of the greatest solo goals in World Cup history?
Answer: Diego Maradona, against England in 1986 — the second goal is often called the “Goal of the Century.”
124. Which manager led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title before falling just short of a repeat in 2026?
Answer: Lionel Scaloni.
125. Who scored a World Cup final hat-trick for France in a losing effort at the 2022 World Cup?
Answer: Kylian Mbappé.
Rules & Officiating
126. How long is a standard soccer match, not including stoppage time?
Answer: 90 minutes, split into two 45-minute halves.
127. How long does extra time last in a knockout match that’s level after 90 minutes?
Answer: An additional 30 minutes, played as two 15-minute halves.
128. What is the maximum number of substitutions typically allowed in most modern professional matches?
Answer: Five, a rule widely adopted since being trialled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
129. What does VAR stand for?
Answer: Video Assistant Referee.
130. In which World Cup was VAR used for the first time?
Answer: The 2018 Russia World Cup.
131. What colour card signals a caution, short of a sending-off?
Answer: Yellow.
132. If a player receives two yellow cards in the same match, what happens?
Answer: They’re shown a red card and sent off, as happened to Argentina’s Enzo Fernández in the 2026 World Cup final.
133. What is an “own goal”?
Answer: When a player accidentally scores in their own team’s goal, crediting the goal to the opposing side.
134. What is the offside rule, in simple terms?
Answer: An attacking player is offside if they’re nearer to the opponent’s goal line than both the ball and the second-last defender when the ball is played to them.
135. In what year were the first formal Laws of the Game, including an early offside rule, codified by the Football Association in England?
Answer: 1863.
136. What is awarded when the ball crosses the goal line, having last been touched by a defending player, without a goal being scored?
Answer: A corner kick, taken from the corner nearest to where the ball went out.
137. What is awarded when the ball crosses the goal line off an attacking player, without a goal being scored?
Answer: A goal kick.
138. How must a player take a throw-in?
Answer: With both hands, delivered from behind and over the head, with both feet on or behind the touchline.
139. How far from goal is a penalty kick taken?
Answer: 11 metres (12 yards).
140. What is the basic difference between a direct and an indirect free kick?
Answer: A direct free kick can be scored straight into the goal, while an indirect free kick must touch another player before a goal can count.
141. In simple terms, what makes a handball a punishable offence?
Answer: Generally, deliberately touching the ball with the hand or arm, or making the arm/hand unnaturally larger to block it — modern interpretations have shifted over the years and remain one of the more debated areas of the rules.
142. What was the “golden goal” rule, and is it still used?
Answer: A rule where the first goal scored in extra time immediately ended the match — used at some tournaments in the 1990s and 2000s but has since been phased out in favour of playing full extra time.
143. What was the “away goals” rule, and is it still used in European competitions?
Answer: It used to award a tie to the team that scored more goals away from home over two legs if the aggregate score was level — UEFA scrapped the rule in 2021 after decades of use.
144. What does “added time” or “stoppage time” account for?
Answer: Time lost during the half for substitutions, injuries, time-wasting and other stoppages, added on by the referee at the end of each half.
145. Why do teams sometimes wear a strip other than their usual home kit?
Answer: To avoid a colour clash with the opposition, teams switch to an alternate “away” kit — occasionally a special third strip if both listed kits clash.
Socceroos: Australia’s Men’s Team
146. Where did the nickname “Socceroos” come from?
Answer: It was coined in 1967 by Sydney journalist Tony Horstead, combining “soccer” and “kangaroo,” while covering the team on tour in South Vietnam.
147. When did Australia play its first-ever international match, and against whom?
Answer: Against New Zealand in 1922, a tour Australia lost 3-1 in the first Test.
148. Australia holds the world record for the biggest win in a senior international match. Who did they beat, and by what score?
Answer: American Samoa, 31-0, in a 2001 World Cup qualifier.
149. Australia is the only nation to have won two different confederation championships. Which two?
Answer: The OFC Nations Cup (as an Oceania member) and the AFC Asian Cup (won in 2015 as hosts, after moving to Asia).
150. Who is Australia’s all-time top goalscorer for the men’s team?
Answer: Tim Cahill, with 50 international goals.
151. Who holds the record for the most caps for the Socceroos?
Answer: Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, with 109 appearances.
152. In which year did Australia make its first-ever World Cup appearance?
Answer: 1974, in West Germany.
153. Tim Cahill scored two famous late goals in Australia’s first World Cup win since 1974. Who was the opponent, and in what year?
Answer: Japan, in a 3-1 win at the 2006 World Cup.
154. Australia has reached the Round of 16 twice. In which two tournaments?
Answer: 2006 (Germany) and 2022 (Qatar).
155. Which country eliminated Australia from the 2022 World Cup at the Round of 16 stage?
Answer: Argentina, 2-1, in a match that included an own goal off Enzo Fernández’s shot.
156. Who coached the Socceroos at the 2026 World Cup?
Answer: Tony Popovic, formerly of Melbourne Victory.
157. Which country did Australia stun 2-0 in their 2026 World Cup opener?
Answer: Türkiye, with goals from 20-year-old Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe.
158. Which co-host nation beat Australia 2-0 in their second group match at the 2026 World Cup?
Answer: The United States.
159. How did Australia secure their place in the Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup?
Answer: A 0-0 draw with Paraguay in their final group match, finishing second in Group D on four points.
160. Which country eliminated the Socceroos from the 2026 World Cup, and how?
Answer: Egypt, winning 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw through 120 minutes in Dallas — Australia’s own goal cancelled out an early Egyptian strike.
161. Which Socceroos captain wore the armband throughout the 2026 World Cup campaign?
Answer: Defender Harry Souttar.
162. Which goalkeeper started for Australia throughout the 2026 World Cup?
Answer: Melbourne City’s Patrick Beach.
163. Australia’s first-ever World Cup qualifying campaign, in 1965, ended in defeat. Who beat them?
Answer: North Korea, in a two-legged playoff.
164. Australia was banned from FIFA for several years starting in 1959. Why?
Answer: Over administrative disputes between the domestic federation and FIFA, unresolved until 1963.
165. Which player became a folk hero for scoring the winning penalty in a famous 2005 World Cup qualifying playoff over Uruguay?
Answer: John Aloisi, whose spot-kick sealed Australia’s first World Cup return in 32 years.
Matildas: Australia’s Women’s Team
166. What does the Matildas’ nickname come from?
Answer: The song “Waltzing Matilda” — the team also carries the nickname “Tillies.”
167. Who is the Matildas’ all-time top goalscorer?
Answer: Sam Kerr, with 69 international goals.
168. Who holds the record for the most caps for the Matildas?
Answer: Defender Clare Polkinghorne, with 164 appearances.
169. In which year did the Matildas play their first-ever international match?
Answer: 1979, a 2-2 draw against New Zealand in Sydney.
170. What is the Matildas’ biggest-ever win?
Answer: A 21-0 demolition of American Samoa in 1998.
171. Which countries co-hosted the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup?
Answer: Australia and New Zealand.
172. What is the Matildas’ best-ever World Cup result?
Answer: Fourth place, at the 2023 tournament on home soil.
173. Which country did the Matildas beat on penalties to reach their first-ever World Cup semi-final in 2023?
Answer: France, winning a marathon shootout 7-6 after 120 goalless minutes at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
174. Who scored the decisive penalty that sent Australia through against France?
Answer: Substitute Cortnee Vine.
175. Which Matildas goalkeeper made three crucial saves in the France shootout and was named player of the match?
Answer: Mackenzie Arnold.
176. Which country beat the Matildas in the 2023 World Cup semi-final?
Answer: England, who went on to face Spain in the final.
177. Which Matildas forward, a Shellharbour local, scored her first goal of the 2023 World Cup against Denmark in front of a home crowd?
Answer: Caitlin Foord.
178. How many times have the Matildas appeared at the FIFA Women’s World Cup?
Answer: Eight times, with their first appearance coming in 1995.
179. What was the Matildas’ highest-ever FIFA world ranking?
Answer: 4th, reached in December 2017.
180. Who coached the Matildas through their 2023 home World Cup run?
Answer: Tony Gustavsson.
A-League Men & Women
181. In what year was the A-League founded, and when did its first season kick off?
Answer: Founded in April 2004, with the first ball kicked in the inaugural season on 26 August 2005.
182. Who won the very first A-League Grand Final?
Answer: Sydney FC.
183. Which club claimed the very first A-League Premiership in 2005-06?
Answer: Adelaide United.
184. Which club won the AFC Champions League in 2014, remaining the only Australian club to have ever done so?
Answer: Western Sydney Wanderers, remarkably in just their second season in existence.
185. Which A-League club has won the most Championships?
Answer: Sydney FC, with five titles.
186. Who holds the record for the most A-League Men appearances?
Answer: Leigh Broxham, with 371.
187. Who is the A-League Men’s all-time leading goalscorer?
Answer: Jamie Maclaren.
188. Which club became the newest A-League Men champion, winning the 2025-26 title in a recent New Zealand-based debut era?
Answer: Auckland FC.
189. Does the A-League use a promotion and relegation system like most European leagues?
Answer: No — like Major League Soccer in the US, it operates a closed franchise system with no relegation.
190. What was Melbourne City originally known as before rebranding?
Answer: Melbourne Heart.
Bonus Round: Only True Fans Will Know
191. Which country became a World Cup debutant nation eliminated in the group stage at the 2026 tournament, despite a population of roughly 150,000?
Answer: Curaçao.
192. Which country upset South Korea at the 2026 World Cup, denying Heung-Min Son’s side progression?
Answer: South Africa.
193. Which team thrashed New Zealand 5-1 in their final 2026 group match to top Group G?
Answer: Belgium.
194. Which striker scored a Matchday 1 double for Norway at the 2026 World Cup, on the same day as Messi’s hat-trick?
Answer: Erling Haaland.
195. Has a female referee ever officiated a men’s World Cup knockout-stage match, as of the most recent tournament?
Answer: Not yet — Stephanie Frappart’s 2022 milestone was a group-stage match, and no female referee had taken charge of a knockout match through 2026.
196. Which club’s back-to-back Champions League wins in 2025 and 2026 put them in a very short list of clubs to have defended the title?
Answer: Paris Saint-Germain.
197. Which record has stood since 1958, when France’s Just Fontaine scored 13 goals at a single tournament?
Answer: The record for most goals scored by one player at a single World Cup.
198. Which Copa Libertadores club is nicknamed the “King of Cups”?
Answer: Independiente.
199. Which Ballon d’Or winner later became the president of his home country?
Answer: George Weah, of Liberia.
200. Which country came within one goal of becoming the first side to defend the World Cup in over 60 years, only for Spain to deny them in 2026?
Answer: Argentina.