124 Fun Facts About Soccer Trivia for Kids

How many players does each soccer team have on the field at the start of a match?

Eleven players start for each side, and a match cannot begin or carry on if either team is down to fewer than seven.

Which kick restarts a soccer match after a goal has been scored?

A kick-off restarts play from the centre spot, taken by the team that just let the goal in; since 2016 the ball may even be played backwards.

How long is each half of a regular soccer match?

Each half lasts 45 minutes, and the referee then adds time at the end to make up for play lost to injuries and substitutions.

Roughly how many people play soccer around the world, making it the planet's most popular sport?

About 250 million is the usual estimate, and FIFA's 2006 count found 265 million players; the game spread so widely because it needs little more than a ball and a few simple rules.

How often is the men's FIFA World Cup held?

The men's World Cup is held every four years, with 22 editions played between 1930 and 2022; only a world war has ever interrupted the cycle.

Which country hosted and won the very first World Cup in 1930?

Uruguay was chosen partly because 1930 was the country's centenary year, which is why the stadium built for the tournament is called the Centenario.

Which country has won the men's World Cup five times, more than any other nation, and has played in every tournament?

Brazil's third title, in 1970, let it keep the original trophy for good, but thieves stole it in Rio in 1983 and it has never been found.

Which country won the 2026 World Cup, beating Argentina 1-0 in the final?

Spain won thanks to Ferran Torres's goal in the 106th minute, deep in extra time, and its defence let in just one goal in the whole tournament.

How many teams played at the 2026 World Cup?

48 teams took part, up from 32, which added a whole new knockout round and meant the champions had to play eight matches instead of seven.

Which player won the Golden Boot as top scorer at the 2026 World Cup with 10 goals?

Kylian Mbappé's ten goals took his World Cup total to 22, edging past Lionel Messi's 21 to make him the tournament's all-time top scorer.

What is the term for one player scoring three goals in a single game?

Three goals by one player in a game is a hat-trick; by tradition the scorer keeps the match ball afterwards, while two goals is called a brace.

How far from the goal line is the penalty spot?

The penalty spot is 12 yards out, and the penalty kick itself was a goalkeeper's idea: Irishman William McCrum, who kept goal for Milford.

Which term describes kicking the ball out of the air before it touches the ground?

A volley meets the ball before it lands: at the 2014 World Cup a Colombia midfielder took the ball on his chest, turned and volleyed it in from long range, and fans voted it FIFA's goal of the year.

What happens to a player who is shown a second yellow card in the same match?

Sent off: a second yellow card ends the player's match, and the team cannot bring on a replacement, so it finishes a player short.

What kind of animal was Paul, who 'predicted' the winner of eight straight matches at the 2010 World Cup?

An octopus: Paul chose between two boxes of food marked with the teams' flags in his aquarium tank, and all eight of his picks came true.

Which MLS club did Lionel Messi join in 2023?

Inter Miami, co-owned by David Beckham, sat bottom of its conference when Messi arrived, yet weeks later it won the Leagues Cup, its first ever trophy.

What is the five-a-side version of soccer played on an indoor court called?

Futsal uses a smaller, heavier ball that barely bounces, so play stays on the floor and rewards quick feet and close control.

Which national team has Cristiano Ronaldo captained?

Portugal won Euro 2016, its first major trophy, even though captain Cristiano Ronaldo was carried off injured after only 25 minutes of the final.

What is the nickname of England's women's national soccer team?

The Lionesses ended England's 56-year wait for a major trophy by winning Euro 2022 at Wembley, something the men had not managed since 1966.

Which Asian country hosted the first Women's World Cup, in 1991?

China hosted in 1991, though FIFA did not yet call the event a World Cup: its official title was the World Championship for Women's Football.

Which weapon appears on the badge of Arsenal, a team founded by factory workers?

A cannon: Arsenal was founded in 1886 by workers at the Woolwich Arsenal, a weapons factory in London, which is also why the team is nicknamed the Gunners.

Which Welsh club did actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney take over, as shown in a hit TV documentary?

Wrexham then won three promotions in a row, climbing from the fifth tier of English soccer to the second by 2025.

What restart is given when the defending team knocks the ball out over its own goal line?

A corner kick began as a Sheffield idea: the city's clubs played by their own rules and persuaded the Football Association to adopt it in 1872.

How must a player deliver a throw-in?

A throw-in must be taken with both hands from behind and over the head, and a goal cannot be scored straight from one.

Which rule stops attackers from simply waiting beside the other team's goal for a pass?

Offside used to be even stricter: until 1925 an attacker needed three opponents, not two, between him and the goal line when the ball was played.

Which term describes a player accidentally scoring for the other team?

An own goal counts for the other team; in 2002 a club in Madagascar scored 149 of them on purpose in one match, as a protest against a referee.

Which part of a soccer goal rests on top of the two posts, eight feet above the ground?

The crossbar came later: the first goals of 1863 had no top at all, and from 1866 the limit was just a tape stretched between posts eight yards apart.

What acrobatic move sees a player strike the ball backwards over their own head while in midair?

A bicycle kick by Cristiano Ronaldo in a 2018 Champions League match was so spectacular that the opposing team's own fans stood up to applaud him.

If you dribble the ball between a defender's legs, what trick have you pulled off?

A nutmeg has its own street sport: in Dutch 'panna' games, played one against one in small cages, slipping the ball through an opponent's legs knocks them out.

Which Norwegian striker scored 36 league goals in his first season at Manchester City?

Erling Haaland's 36 goals in 2022-23 set a new league record, and as a teenager he once scored nine in a single match at the Under-20 World Cup.

What does Marta's nickname 'Rainha', used by fans in her home country, mean in English?

Rainha is Portuguese for Queen; Marta learned the game in the streets with the boys of her small home town and joined a big Rio club at just 14.

Which country became the first from Africa to reach a World Cup semi-final, in 2022?

Morocco got there by winning a last-16 penalty shoot-out 3-0, without its opponents scoring a single spot kick, and went on to finish fourth.

Which shirt number does a team's starting goalkeeper traditionally wear?

The number 1 goes to the goalkeeper because early numbered shirts were handed out by position, starting in goal and working forward to the left winger at 11.

How can you spot a soccer team's captain on the field?

The captain wears an armband on the upper arm; captains have no special powers under the Laws but take the coin toss and carry responsibility for the team's behaviour.

Which country was the first to host the World Cup three times, in 1970, 1986 and 2026?

Mexico only got the 1986 tournament because Colombia, the original host, pulled out for lack of money, which made it the first country to host twice.

Which player won the Golden Ball as best player of the 2026 World Cup?

Rodri won it less than two years after a serious knee injury wiped out almost all of his 2024-25 season.

Five substitutes per match, up from three, began as a temporary rule during what?

A pandemic: COVID-19 squeezed fixtures together in 2020, so teams got two extra substitutes to protect tired players, and the change became permanent in 2022.

Lionel Messi lifted the World Cup for Argentina in 2022 in which host country?

Qatar staged the tournament in November and December, not summer, because of the desert heat; Messi scored twice in the final.

Which three letters name the replay system that helps soccer officials check goals and penalties?

VAR stands for Video Assistant Referee, but it only advises: the referee on the field always makes the final decision.

Which ball size is used in adult and professional soccer matches?

Size 5 is the adult ball, with smaller sizes made for younger players; old leather balls soaked up rain and grew heavier as a match went on.

How far from the ball must opponents stand at a free kick?

Opponents must be at least 10 yards (9.15 metres) from the ball at a free kick, which is why referees pace out the wall and mark it with vanishing spray.

The Football Association, which wrote soccer's first laws in 1863, was founded at a meeting in what kind of building?

A tavern: the Freemasons' Tavern in London hosted the meeting, and the laws agreed weeks later banned hacking at shins, which drove rugby-minded clubs away.

For a goal to count, how much of the ball must cross the goal line?

All of it must cross; after a shot at the 2010 World Cup went over the line unseen, soccer brought in goal-line technology that buzzes the referee's watch.

What colour must an artificial soccer surface be under the rules?

Green is the only colour the Laws allow for artificial turf, so soccer could never copy the famous bright blue field of Boise State's American football team.

Which item of a goalkeeper's usual kit is optional under soccer's laws?

Gloves are optional: the Laws list the kit every player must wear and ask only that the goalkeeper's colours stand out.

What is a goalkeeper forbidden to do with a ball that a teammate has deliberately kicked back to them?

Pick it up: the back-pass law arrived in 1992 after a dull 1990 World Cup in which teams kept passing back to a keeper who could simply hold the ball.

Which legendary goalkeeper was nicknamed the 'Black Spider' for his all-black kit?

Lev Yashin also kept goal for Dynamo Moscow's ice hockey team as a young man, then chose soccer and became the only goalkeeper ever voted Europe's best player.

Which two players are the only ones allowed inside the penalty area during a penalty kick?

Only the kicker and the goalkeeper may be in the area; the curved 'D' on its edge exists purely to show everyone else how far back to stand.

What happens if a penalty shoot-out is still level after five kicks each?

Sudden death means one kick each until one team scores and the other misses; before shoot-outs arrived in 1970, a drawn knockout tie could be settled by a coin toss.

Which loud plastic horn became the sound of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa?

The vuvuzela's drone was so loud, around 120 decibels up close, that UEFA banned it from all its matches within two months of the final.

The 2026 World Cup final was played in a stadium just outside which American city?

New York's two NFL teams play there, but MetLife Stadium actually stands across the state line in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Which European national team is famous for playing in bright orange shirts?

Netherlands players wear orange after the House of Orange-Nassau, the family of the Dutch kings and queens, even though the Dutch flag is red, white and blue.

What kind of animal was Fuleco, the mascot of the 2014 World Cup?

An armadillo: Fuleco was a three-banded armadillo, picked to draw attention to a threatened species that rolls itself into a tight ball when in danger.

What inspired the yellow and red colours of a referee's cards?

Traffic lights gave an English referee the idea while he waited at a junction in London: yellow for caution and red for stop would be understood in any language.

What were assistant referees called until 1996?

Linesmen became 'assistant referees' in 1996 because the job had grown far beyond watching the lines, though many fans still use the old name.

Who holds up the electronic board showing players' numbers at a substitution?

The fourth official also keeps order in the technical areas and often steps in if the referee or an assistant cannot carry on.

The classic soccer ball is stitched from 20 white hexagons and 12 black patches of which shape?

Pentagons complete the 32-panel pattern that every child draws, yet World Cup match balls dropped it in 2006 for a design of just 14 panels.

Which Adidas ball, used at the 1970 World Cup, made the black-and-white panel design famous?

The Adidas Telstar's black panels made the ball easier to follow on the black-and-white televisions most fans still watched in 1970.

FIFA, soccer's world governing body, has its headquarters in which European country?

Switzerland has been FIFA's home since 1932, when the organisation left Paris, the city where it was founded in 1904, for Zurich.

FIFA has 211 members, more than the United Nations, because it admits places such as which of these?

Hong Kong fields its own team even though it is not an independent country, and so do Scotland and Wales, which is why FIFA's 211 members outnumber the UN's 193.

Which confederation looks after soccer in South America?

CONMEBOL is the smallest confederation, with just ten member countries, yet their teams have won ten of the 23 men's World Cups.

During World War II, where did an Italian official hide the World Cup trophy to keep it safe?

A shoebox under his bed kept it safe: Ottorino Barassi had quietly taken the trophy out of a Rome bank while the war cancelled two World Cups.

By FIFA's count, about how many people watched the 2022 World Cup final?

About 1.5 billion people watched Argentina beat France on penalties after a 3-3 draw, and FIFA says 5 billion engaged with the tournament in some way.

Which trophy was awarded to World Cup winners from 1930 to 1970?

The Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen in London months before the 1966 World Cup and found a week later, wrapped in newspaper, by a dog named Pickles out on a walk.

The World Cup trophy first presented in 1974 shows two figures holding up what?

The Earth: unlike the first trophy, which one country won outright, this one can never be kept, and only winners and heads of state may even touch it.

What was the Champions League called when it started in 1955?

The European Cup was dreamed up by Gabriel Hanot of the French sports paper L'Équipe after English papers hailed Wolves as champions of the world in 1954.

Which club went a whole Premier League season unbeaten in 2003-04, earning the nickname 'The Invincibles'?

Arsenal went all 38 league games without defeat under Arsène Wenger, and the league marked the feat with a special gold version of its trophy.

What is the oldest national soccer cup competition in the world?

The FA Cup dates from 1871-72, and its first trophy was stolen from a Birmingham shop window in 1895 while Aston Villa held it, never to be seen again.

The Premier League was formed in 1992 when top clubs broke away to sell their own what?

Television rights were the prize: the breakaway clubs sold their live games to Sky at a time when pay TV was still almost untested in Britain.

Major League Soccer is a US league, but three of its clubs are based in which other country?

Canada has Toronto FC, CF Montréal and Vancouver Whitecaps, and in 2017 Toronto beat Seattle 2-0 at home to take the MLS Cup out of the US for the first time.

Major League Soccer was founded as part of the US bid to host which event?

The 1994 World Cup went to a country whose last top league, the NASL, had folded in 1984, so FIFA made a new professional league a condition of hosting.

Which club won the first MLS Cup final in 1996?

D.C. United trailed LA Galaxy 2-0 in a rainstorm, scored twice to force overtime, then won 3-2 on a golden goal by defender Eddie Pope.

Which country won back-to-back Copa América titles in 2015 and 2016, the first in its history?

Chile beat Argentina on penalties in both finals, and after the second Lionel Messi announced he was quitting international soccer, though he soon returned.

Which two South American countries have never won the Copa América?

Ecuador and Venezuela are the only CONMEBOL nations never to win the Copa América; even Bolivia (1963) and Colombia (2001) have one title each.

What was the European Championship called before it was renamed in 1968?

The European Nations' Cup took its new name in 1968, the year hosts Italy reached the final on a coin toss after a 0-0 semi-final draw with the Soviet Union.

Which two countries co-hosted the 2023 Women's World Cup?

Australia and New Zealand were the first co-hosts in Women's World Cup history, and New Zealand opened the tournament by beating Norway for its first ever win at one.

Which country won the Women's World Cup in both 2003 and 2007?

Germany won the 2003 final on a golden goal headed in by substitute Nia Künzer, then took the 2007 title without conceding a single goal all tournament.

In which Argentine city was Lionel Messi born?

Rosario-born Messi moved to Catalonia at 13 after Barcelona agreed to pay for the growth-hormone treatment he had needed since childhood.

Barcelona's first written promise to sign a 13-year-old Lionel Messi was famously scribbled on what?

A paper napkin was all Barcelona director Carles Rexach had to hand in December 2000, when Messi's family demanded proof that the club was serious.

On which island was Cristiano Ronaldo born?

Madeira renamed its international airport after Ronaldo in 2017; he was born in Funchal, the island's capital, in 1985.

In which country was Cristiano Ronaldo playing club soccer when he turned 40?

Saudi Arabia: Ronaldo joined Al Nassr of Riyadh after his Manchester United contract was ended over a TV interview criticising the club, and he turned 40 there in 2025.

Which Italian club did Cristiano Ronaldo join from Real Madrid in 2018?

Juventus fans had stood to applaud a spectacular goal Ronaldo scored against their own team in April 2018, and a few months later he joined the club.

Which Brazilian club did Neymar first play for as a teenager?

Santos gave Neymar his debut at 17, and he led the club to the 2011 Copa Libertadores, its first since 1963, before coming back to play there again in 2025.

Kylian Mbappé is the all-time top scorer of which French club?

Paris Saint-Germain saw Mbappé score 256 goals in seven seasons, passing Edinson Cavani's 200, before he left on a free transfer when his contract ran out in 2024.

Which club gave Kylian Mbappé his first-team debut at 16, breaking Thierry Henry's record as its youngest player?

Monaco sent Mbappé on against Caen in December 2015, and within 18 months he had helped the club win the French league title.

Which Austrian club did Erling Haaland join in 2019 before Borussia Dortmund?

Red Bull Salzburg watched Haaland score three first-half goals on his Champions League debut against Genk, and within four months Dortmund had signed him.

Which American won both the Golden Boot and the Golden Ball at the 2019 Women's World Cup?

Megan Rapinoe scored six goals in France, the last a penalty that opened the scoring in the 2-0 final win over the Netherlands.

For which NWSL club did Megan Rapinoe spend most of her career?

Seattle Reign FC had Rapinoe for eleven seasons from the NWSL's first in 2013; 34,130 fans came to her last regular-season home game, and the club retired her number 15.

Which US striker scored the winning goal against England in the 2019 World Cup semi-final on her 30th birthday?

Alex Morgan was the first player to score at a Women's World Cup on her birthday; she also wrote The Kicks, a children's book series about four soccer-playing girls.

Liverpool fans' best-known chant for Mohamed Salah gives him which nickname?

The Egyptian King comes from a chant Liverpool fans set to the tune of 'Sit Down' by the band James in 2018, during Salah's first season at the club.

In 1996 David Beckham shot to fame by scoring against Wimbledon from where on the pitch?

The halfway line: Beckham saw goalkeeper Neil Sullivan standing far off his line and floated the ball over him, with United already leading 2-0.

Which Italian club did David Beckham join on loan in 2009 and 2010?

AC Milan took Beckham on loan so he could stay match-fit for his country during the MLS off-season, but a torn Achilles on the second loan cost him the 2010 World Cup.

What is Zinedine Zidane's popular nickname?

Zizou, as teammates and fans call Zidane, headed in two corners in the 1998 World Cup final to set France on the way to a 3-0 win on home soil.

Which player did Zidane headbutt in the 2006 World Cup final?

Marco Materazzi took the headbutt in the chest in extra time of Zidane's last ever match; both men had scored earlier, and Italy won the final on penalties.

What does Ronaldinho's nickname 'O Bruxo' mean?

The Wizard fit him at the 2002 World Cup, where he curled a 40-yard free kick over goalkeeper David Seaman, then was dismissed for a foul seven minutes later.

Pelé popularised which famous phrase for soccer, using it in the title of his 1977 autobiography?

The beautiful game was already in use, but Pelé's book 'My Life and the Beautiful Game' tied it to soccer; Guinness credits him with 1,279 goals in 1,363 games.

Pelé's parents named him after which famous American inventor?

Thomas Edison: his parents dropped the 'i' to make Edson, but a slip on his birth certificate left 'Edison' on many of his documents anyway.

What does Maradona's nickname 'El Pibe de Oro' mean?

The Golden Boy earned the name early: at 12 he entertained half-time crowds with his ball tricks, and he made his top-flight debut ten days before turning 16.

Which Italian club did Maradona lead to its first ever Serie A title?

Napoli had never been champions before Maradona led it to the 1987 title; after his death in 2020 the club's stadium was renamed in his honour.

In which round of the 1986 World Cup did Maradona score his 'Hand of God' goal?

Quarter-final: asked afterwards how he had scored, Maradona said it was 'a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God'.

What does the 'Real' in Real Madrid mean?

Royal: King Alfonso XIII granted the title and a crown for the badge in 1920; both were stripped when the country became a republic in 1931, and the crown returned in 1941.

Real Madrid plays its home games at which stadium, opened in 1947?

The Bernabéu opened under the club's own name; in 1955 its members voted to rename it after Santiago Bernabéu, the president who had it built.

Which stadium, nicknamed the 'Theatre of Dreams', has been Manchester United's home since 1910?

Old Trafford was bombed in the Second World War, so from 1941 to 1949 United had to play home games at Maine Road, the ground of rivals Manchester City.

Whom did Wayne Rooney pass in 2017 to become Manchester United's all-time top scorer?

Bobby Charlton, a survivor of the 1958 Munich air crash, had held the record with 249 goals for more than 40 years before Rooney's late free kick at Stoke.

What is the name of Liverpool's home ground?

Liverpool has played at Anfield since the club was founded in 1892, after Everton left the ground in a rent dispute and moved to Goodison Park.

What is Liverpool's famous club anthem?

You'll Never Walk Alone, a Rodgers and Hammerstein song from the musical Carousel, became Liverpool's anthem after Gerry and the Pacemakers' 1963 hit version.

Which German club won eleven league titles in a row from 2013 to 2023?

Bayern Munich's run was ended in 2024 by Bayer Leverkusen, the first team ever to go through a whole Bundesliga season unbeaten.

Which piece of protective equipment do soccer's Laws of the Game require every player to wear?

Shinguards came from cricket: in 1874 Nottingham Forest's Sam Weller Widdowson cut down a pair of cricket pads and strapped them outside his stockings.

Which turn sees a player fake a pass, then drag the ball behind the standing leg?

The Cruyff turn is named after Johan Cruyff, who fooled Sweden's Jan Olsson with it at the 1974 World Cup by feigning a cross and dragging the ball behind his standing leg.

Which annual award has France Football handed out since 1956?

The Ballon d'Or was open only to European players until 1995, so Diego Maradona never won it; France Football gave him an honorary one that year instead.

At which Olympics was women's soccer added to the official programme?

Atlanta 1996 ended a 96-year wait: men's soccer had joined the Olympics in 1900, and the host nation won the first women's gold.

Which Australian striker is famous for celebrating goals with a backflip?

Sam Kerr, whose backflip is her trademark, grew up playing Australian rules football like her father and brother, and only switched to soccer at 12.

Which woman was named FIFA World Player of the Year five years running, from 2006 to 2010?

Marta added a sixth award in 2018, and in 2024 FIFA named its new prize for the best goal in women's soccer after her; she won the first one herself.

Which college team did Mia Hamm help win four NCAA championships?

The North Carolina Tar Heels won it all in 1989, 1990, 1992 and 1993 with Hamm, who sat out the 1991 college season to play in the first Women's World Cup.

Which US striker, famous for her diving headers, retired in 2015 with a then-record 184 international goals?

Abby Wambach's best-known header came in the last minute of extra time in a 2011 World Cup quarter-final, forcing a shoot-out that her team went on to win.

Which England midfielder became his country's youngest ever player at a major tournament at Euro 2020, aged 17?

Jude Bellingham came on against Croatia aged 17 years and 349 days; a year earlier his first club, Birmingham City, had retired his number 22 shirt when he left.

What is the name of Barcelona's youth academy where Lamine Yamal was trained?

La Masia, Barcelona's academy named after the old farmhouse beside the stadium, produced Yamal, who debuted for the first team at 15 in April 2023.

Which Brazilian club did Vinícius Júnior play for before Real Madrid?

Flamengo gave Vinícius his senior debut at 16 and agreed to sell him to Real Madrid ten days later, though he could only move once he turned 18.

Harry Kane is the all-time top scorer of which English club?

Tottenham Hotspur took Kane on after a rival London academy released him as a boy; he went on to score 280 goals for the club, passing Jimmy Greaves' 266.

What is Christian Pulisic's nickname?

Captain America grew up in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and could sign for Borussia Dortmund at just 16 because a Croatian grandfather entitled him to a European passport.

In the TV show Ted Lasso, which fictional English club does Ted coach?

A.F.C. Richmond's owner Rebecca hires Ted, an American football coach, secretly hoping he will wreck the club her ex-husband loves; his kindness wins her over instead.

Which actress plays Jules Paxton in the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham?

Keira Knightley plays Jules, who talks Jess into joining her team; in 2010 the film was shown on North Korean state television, a first for a Western-made movie.

In British soccer scores, which word means zero, as in a 2-0 win?

Nil is Latin for 'nothing'; tennis says 'love' and cricket says 'duck', short for duck's egg, thought to come from the shape of a 0.

The national governing bodies of which two countries have 'Soccer' in their names, not 'Football'?

Canada and the United States kept a word born in Britain: 'soccer' began as 19th-century school and university slang for association football.