Argentina Football Trivia — 60 Questions on the World Champions

🇦🇷 Argentina Football · 60 Questions · Updated May 2026

From Maradona’s “Hand of God” to Messi’s tearful 2022 World Cup triumph, Argentina’s football story is one of football’s most dramatic and emotional narratives. Now as defending World Cup champions heading into 2026, the Albiceleste carry the hopes of 46 million Argentines and millions more fans worldwide. Test your knowledge of Argentina football with these 60 trivia questions. Also explore our Lionel Messi trivia quiz and the complete list of World Cup winners.

Contents

• Easy Argentina Trivia (Q1–20)
• Medium Argentina Trivia (Q21–45)
• Hard Argentina Trivia (Q46–60)
• How Did You Score?
• Frequently Asked Questions

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Easy

Easy Argentina Trivia (Questions 1–20)

1. Q: How many FIFA World Cups has Argentina won?
   A: Three — in 1978 (Argentina), 1986 (Mexico), and 2022 (Qatar).
2. Q: What is Argentina’s national team nickname?
   A: “Albiceleste” — meaning “white and sky blue,” referring to their iconic white and light blue striped shirt.
3. Q: Who is Argentina’s all-time top goalscorer?
   A: Lionel Messi — with 109+ goals, breaking Gabriel Batistuta’s previous record of 54 goals.
4. Q: How many Ballon d’Or trophies has Lionel Messi won?
   A: Eight — in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023. The most of any player in history.
5. Q: Who is considered Argentina’s greatest player before Messi?
   A: Diego Maradona — who captained Argentina to the 1986 World Cup and is considered by many as the greatest player in football history.
6. Q: In which South American city is Argentina’s most famous stadium located?
   A: Buenos Aires — the Estadio Monumental (capacity ~84,000), home of River Plate and the Argentina national team, is South America’s largest stadium.
7. Q: Which Copa América year ended Argentina’s 28-year trophy drought before the 2022 World Cup?
   A: 2021 — Argentina won the Copa América in Brazil, beating Brazil 1-0 in the final at the Maracanã. Ángel Di María scored the only goal.
8. Q: Who did Argentina beat in the 2022 World Cup Final?
   A: France — in what is widely considered the greatest World Cup Final ever played. The match ended 3-3 after extra time, with Argentina winning on penalties.
9. Q: Lionel Messi was born in which Argentine city?
   A: Rosario — in the Santa Fe province, on June 24, 1987.
10. Q: Which club did Messi spend the majority of his club career at?
    A: FC Barcelona — where he played from 2004 to 2021, scoring 672 goals across all competitions before joining PSG and later Inter Miami.
11. Q: What is Argentina’s governing football body called?
    A: AFA — Asociación del Fútbol Argentino.
12. Q: Which Argentine manager led the team to the 2022 World Cup triumph?
    A: Lionel Scaloni — he took over after the disastrous 2018 World Cup exit and transformed Argentina into world champions within four years.
13. Q: Argentina’s 1978 World Cup was hosted in Argentina. Who did they beat in the final?
    A: The Netherlands — winning 3-1 after extra time in Buenos Aires. Mario Kempes scored twice.
14. Q: How many Copa América titles has Argentina won?
    A: 16 Copa América titles — the joint most with Uruguay (both having won 15 each before Argentina’s 2021 win which gave them the outright record).
15. Q: Which Argentine club is the most successful in South American football and is often described as the club of the rich?
    A: River Plate — one of Argentina’s most successful clubs in domestic and continental football, based in Buenos Aires.
16. Q: What is the “Superclásico” — Argentina’s most important domestic derby?
    A: The Superclásico is the match between Boca Juniors and River Plate — considered one of the greatest club derbies in world football, often called the most passionate match on Earth.
17. Q: Lionel Messi has played for which MLS club since 2023?
    A: Inter Miami CF — where he joined in July 2023, winning the Leagues Cup with them in his first season.
18. Q: How old will Messi be at the time of the 2026 World Cup?
    A: Messi was born June 24, 1987 — he turns 39 in June 2026, during the tournament. He would be 38 when the tournament starts on June 11.
19. Q: Ángel Di María scored the winning goal in the 2021 Copa América Final. For which club did he play at the time?
    A: Paris Saint-Germain — Di María scored a beautiful chip against Brazil at the Maracanã to give Argentina a 1-0 win in the Copa América Final.
20. Q: Argentina won the 2022 World Cup in which city?
    A: Lusail, Qatar — the final was played at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022.

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Medium

Medium Argentina Trivia (Questions 21–45)

21. Q: What was the score of the 2022 World Cup Final at full time, after extra time, and on penalties?
    A: 2-2 at 90 minutes, 3-3 after extra time, then Argentina won 4-2 on penalties. Messi scored twice (open play + penalty), Di María scored once; Mbappé scored a hat-trick for France (penalty, volley, penalty).
22. Q: Who scored Argentina’s third goal in the 2022 WC Final extra time, making it 3-3?
    A: Kylian Mbappé — his second penalty of the match, converting from the spot to level at 3-3 in the 118th minute and send the match to a shootout.
23. Q: Who was Argentina’s goalkeeper hero in the 2022 World Cup — saving penalties in the semi-final and final?
    A: Emiliano Martínez (“Dibu”) — he won the Golden Glove award and became famous for his psychological tactics against penalty takers, including saving two penalties in the final shootout.
24. Q: The “Hand of God” goal by Maradona occurred in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final against which country?
    A: England — on June 22, 1986 in Mexico City. Maradona punched the ball into the net with his hand (undiscovered by the referee) before scoring the “Goal of the Century” four minutes later in the same match.
25. Q: Who did Argentina beat in the 1986 World Cup Final?
    A: West Germany — Argentina won 3-2 with Maradona orchestrating the match. Jorge Valdano and Jorge Burruchaga (in the 83rd minute) completed the win after Argentina had trailed 2-0.
26. Q: Who held Argentina’s scoring record before Messi broke it?
    A: Gabriel Batistuta — known as “Batigol,” he scored 54 goals for Argentina in 78 appearances. He was one of the most feared strikers of the 1990s.
27. Q: Argentina reached three consecutive World Cup Finals in the 1990s and 2000s. True or false?
    A: False — Argentina were in the 1990 final (lost to West Germany 1-0) but did not reach the final in 1994, 1998, 2002, or 2006. Their next final was 2014 (lost to Germany 1-0 aet).
28. Q: Which Argentine midfielder was known as “El Jefecito” (The Little Boss) and captained Argentina at three World Cups?
    A: Javier Mascherano — the defensive midfielder captained Argentina at three World Cups (2010, 2014, 2018) and was famous for his tenacity, leadership, and ability to make crucial tackles in tight situations.
29. Q: Rodrigo De Paul has been central to Argentina’s success under Scaloni. Which club does he play for in Europe?
    A: Atletico Madrid — the dynamic central midfielder joined Atletico from Udinese in 2021 and has been one of Argentina’s key players.
30. Q: Julián Álvarez scored two goals at the 2022 World Cup, including against Croatia. What is significant about his club history?
    A: Julián Álvarez joined Manchester City from River Plate in 2022 and scored his first World Cup goals while on loan back to River Plate during preseason — then featured strongly for Argentina. His 2022 WC semi-final performance vs Croatia (including a solo goal) made him a global star.
31. Q: Mario Kempes scored the goals to win Argentina’s first World Cup in 1978. What was his role in the team?
    A: Kempes was Argentina’s star striker — he scored 6 goals at the 1978 tournament including twice in the final against the Netherlands, winning the Golden Boot.
32. Q: Argentina’s match against Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup — which goal by Marcos Rojo saved their campaign?
    A: Marcos Rojo scored a last-minute volley against Nigeria to give Argentina a 2-1 win and squeeze through the group stage. Messi had also scored in the match. The tension-filled match became one of 2018’s most dramatic group stage games.
33. Q: Who did Argentina beat in the 2021 Copa América semi-final?
    A: Colombia — on penalties after the match ended 1-1. Emiliano Martínez saved three penalties in the shootout, establishing himself as one of the world’s best penalty-stopping goalkeepers.
34. Q: Diego Maradona died in which year — and what was the global reaction?
    A: November 2020 — Maradona died aged 60. The reaction was extraordinary: three days of national mourning were declared in Argentina, and tributes poured in from across the world. Thousands lined up outside the Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires to pay their respects.
35. Q: Which Argentine club did Messi return to briefly in 2021 after his Barcelona departure?
    A: Messi did NOT return to Argentina — he joined Paris Saint-Germain after Barcelona, then moved to Inter Miami in 2023. He has not played for an Argentine club since leaving Newell’s Old Boys’ youth system as a child.
36. Q: Argentina won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship (now U-20 World Cup). Which future stars were on that squad?
    A: Lionel Messi was the star of the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship squad — winning the tournament in the Netherlands, with Messi winning the Golden Ball and Golden Boot. Other future Argentina stars also featured.
37. Q: In how many World Cups did Maradona represent Argentina?
    A: Four World Cups — 1982 (where Argentina exited in the second group stage), 1986 (winners), 1990 (finalists, lost to West Germany 1-0), and 1994 (sent home after testing positive for ephedrine).
38. Q: Lionel Scaloni was previously a backup defensive midfielder for Argentina. What is remarkable about his managerial career?
    A: Scaloni took over as interim manager in 2018 with no prior head coaching experience at any level — yet transformed Argentina into World Cup winners within four years, widely considered one of the most remarkable coaching stories in football history.
39. Q: Which Argentine legend scored the winner in the 2014 World Cup Final for Germany against Argentina?
    A: This is a trick question — no Argentine scored in the 2014 final. Mario Götze scored for Germany in the 113th minute to win 1-0 aet, ending Messi’s dream of winning the World Cup in Brazil.
40. Q: In the 2022 World Cup group stage, Argentina suffered one of the tournament’s greatest shocks. What happened?
    A: Saudi Arabia beat Argentina 2-1 — arguably the biggest World Cup upset of all time. Saudi Arabia came from 1-0 down to score twice in the second half, causing worldwide disbelief. Argentina rebounded to win the tournament.
41. Q: Which Argentine city is the birthplace of Maradona?
    A: Lanús — a city in the Buenos Aires Province. He was born on October 30, 1960.
42. Q: The 2022 WC Final featured a 3-3 scoreline after extra time. What was the score when France equalized in normal time to make it 2-2?
    A: France were 2-0 down before Mbappé scored twice in two minutes: a penalty (80th minute) and a volley (81st minute) to make it 2-2 and send the match to extra time — one of the most extraordinary individual performances in World Cup Final history.
43. Q: Argentina’s iconic Number 10 shirt carries enormous weight. Who wore it before Messi in the national team?
    A: Maradona wore the 10 shirt throughout his Argentina career. After Maradona, Ariel Ortega, Juan Román Riquelme, and others wore it before Messi became its permanent occupant.
44. Q: The Boca Juniors vs River Plate Copa Libertadores Final in 2018 was played at a neutral venue due to riots. Where was the rearranged final held?
    A: Madrid — at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, after the second leg at the Monumental had to be rearranged following attacks on the Boca team bus. River Plate won 3-1 in extra time.
45. Q: Messi’s total goals for Argentina including his 2022 WC goals put him at approximately how many?
    A: Approximately 109 goals (as of early 2026) — he continues to add to this total for the Argentina national team heading into the 2026 World Cup.

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Hard

Hard Argentina Trivia (Questions 46–60)

46. Q: Who scored Argentina’s 1986 World Cup Final winner against West Germany?
    A: Jorge Burruchaga — he scored in the 83rd minute to make it 3-2 after Argentina had levelled from 2-0 down. The assist was from Maradona.
47. Q: In the 1990 World Cup Final, Argentina were beaten by West Germany 1-0. Which player scored the winning penalty?
    A: Andreas Brehme — he converted a controversial penalty in the 85th minute, though Argentine players argued that Rudi Völler had dived. Two Argentina players had been sent off before the penalty.
48. Q: By how many appearances does Messi lead Argentina’s all-time caps record?
    A: Messi earned approximately 180+ caps for Argentina (as of May 2026) — Javier Mascherano holds the record for most caps before him with 147. Messi has significantly surpassed this.
49. Q: Boca Juniors have won how many Copa Libertadores titles?
    A: Six Copa Libertadores titles — in 1977, 1978, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2007. Only Independiente (7 titles) and Nacional (3), Santos (3), and Estudiantes have comparable South American continental success for Argentine clubs.
50. Q: Which city hosted the 1978 World Cup Final — and what was the political context?
    A: Buenos Aires — the Final was played at the Estadio Monumental on June 25, 1978. Argentina was under military dictatorship at the time, with critics later alleging the regime used the tournament for propaganda purposes.
51. Q: What was Maradona’s famous quote about the “Hand of God” goal?
    A: He said it was scored “un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de Dios” — a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God. He initially denied it was handball in the post-match conference.
52. Q: Argentina’s 2022 World Cup semi-final win over Croatia was extraordinary. What was the final score?
    A: Argentina won 3-0 — with Messi scoring from the penalty spot and Julián Álvarez scoring twice (including a remarkable solo goal from the halfway line). Croatia had no answer to Argentina’s quality.
53. Q: Which Argentine forward won the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot with 7 goals?
    A: Kylian Mbappé — a French player, NOT Argentine. Messi won the Golden Ball (best player). Argentina’s leading scorer was Messi with 7 goals (including the final), but the Golden Boot went to Mbappé (also 7 goals but with a better assists tiebreaker… actually they were equal on goals. Golden Boot went to Mbappé on minutes played. Messi won the Golden Ball).
54. Q: How many World Cups did Messi participate in before finally winning in 2022?
    A: Five World Cups — 2006, 2010, 2014 (finalist), 2018, and 2022 (winner). His journey from teenage debutant to world champion spanned 16 years.
55. Q: Which player is most associated with the “Finalissima” 2022 — won by Argentina against Italy?
    A: The Finalissima (a match between the Copa América and European Championship winners) was played at Wembley — Argentina won 3-0 against Italy. Lautaro Martínez and Ángel Di María scored. Messi was involved throughout.
56. Q: Where does Maradona’s “Goal of the Century” rank in football’s all-time greatest goals — and why?
    A: It was voted the “Goal of the Century” by FIFA via a public vote in 2002 — Maradona dribbled past six England players before scoring, covering approximately 60 metres. It beat Pelé’s bicycle kick goal for Santos and others.
57. Q: Argentina’s 36-year wait between trophies (1993 Copa América to 2021 Copa América) is often called what?
    A: La Maldición (The Curse) — Argentina reached multiple World Cup and Copa América finals without winning during this period. The curse ended when they beat Brazil 1-0 in the 2021 Copa América Final.
58. Q: What was unique about Argentina’s starting lineup for the 2022 World Cup Final vs France?
    A: Argentina started with no recognised striker — Ángel Di María played as a false winger/wing-forward, with Messi in a free role and Alexis Mac Allister and De Paul controlling midfield. The fluid system eventually gave way to substitutes including Lautaro Martínez.
59. Q: Alexis Mac Allister became a key midfielder for Argentina at the 2022 WC. Which English club did he join after the World Cup?
    A: Liverpool — Mac Allister joined from Brighton & Hove Albion in June 2023, filling Fabinho’s position as a key midfield anchor.
60. Q: How many penalties did Emiliano Martínez save across Argentina’s 2022 World Cup knockout runs?
    A: Martínez saved 3 penalties across the tournament — 2 in the quarter-final shootout against the Netherlands and 1 in the final shootout against France. His psychological approach to penalty-taking (including theatrics) became one of 2022’s most discussed moments.

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🇦🇷 How Did You Score?

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many World Cups has Argentina won?

Argentina have won the World Cup three times — in 1978 (on home soil), 1986 (in Mexico under Maradona), and 2022 (in Qatar under Messi). They are the reigning world champions heading into 2026.

What was the Hand of God goal?

The Hand of God was Diego Maradona’s controversial goal in Argentina’s 1986 World Cup quarter-final against England. Maradona punched the ball into the net with his left hand — undetected by the referee — then ran 60 metres to score the “Goal of the Century” in the same match. Argentina won 2-1 and went on to win the 1986 World Cup.

Was the 2022 World Cup Final the greatest of all time?

Most football analysts and fans consider it the greatest World Cup Final ever played. Argentina led 2-0 with 10 minutes remaining before France’s Mbappé scored a hat-trick to level at 3-3 in extra time, and Argentina won on penalties. The drama, quality, and narrative made it almost universally voted the best final in the tournament’s history.

How many goals has Messi scored for Argentina?

Lionel Messi has scored 109+ goals for Argentina — breaking Gabriel Batistuta’s previous record of 54 goals. He has surpassed every Argentine scorer in history and continued adding to his total at Inter Miami and for the national team.

Who was Maradona’s best playing partner at Argentina?

Jorge Valdano and Claudio Caniggia were among Maradona’s most important international partnerships. Valdano scored in the 1986 World Cup Final and partnered Maradona effectively throughout the tournament. Caniggia featured alongside Maradona at the 1990 World Cup.

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More Football Trivia

• Lionel Messi Trivia — 50 Questions About the Greatest of All Time
• Every FIFA World Cup Winner — Full List + Quiz (1930–2022)
• 100 World Cup 2026 Trivia Questions — The Complete Quiz

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