FIFA World Cup 2026: Top 100 Current Affairs | Must for MPSC, SSC, Railway 2026 (PDF)

If you're preparing for competitive exams, this one's for you. The 2026 FIFA World Cup created plenty of records, and it's the kind of topic from which examiners love to ask questions. 

So instead of reading long articles, here's a set of 100 important MCQs covering all the key facts in one place. Try answering each question before checking the correct answer. 

Let's begin!

Source: Wikipedia 

Section 1: Tournament Overview & Results

1. Which edition of the FIFA World Cup was held in 2026?

A. 21st
B. 22nd
C. 23rd
D. 24th

2. Which nation emerged as the champions of the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

A. Spain
B. Argentina
C. France
D. England

3. On what date did the 2026 FIFA World Cup final take place?

A. June 11
B. July 4
C. July 19
D. August 1

4. Which team finished as the runner-up in the tournament?

A. France
B. Argentina
C. England
D. Netherlands

5. Who took third place in the 2026 tournament?

A. Germany
B. Morocco
C. England
D. Spain

6. Which team was defeated in the final by a score of 1–0?

A. Spain
B. Argentina
C. France
D. England

7. How many goals were scored in total during the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

A. 171
B. 250
C. 308
D. 350

8. What was the average number of goals per match in the 2026 tournament?

A. 2.50
B. 2.69
C. 2.96
D. 3.12

9. The 2.96 goal average was the highest for a World Cup since which edition?

A. 1966
B. 1970
C. 1986
D. 1994

10. Spain became the first nation to hold which two titles simultaneously?

A. Men's and Women's World Cup
B. Men's World Cup and UEFA Euro
C. Women's World Cup and Olympic Gold
D. Men's World Cup and Copa América

Section 2: Hosting & Venues

11. How many countries jointly hosted the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four

12. Which of these countries was NOT a host of the 2026 World Cup?

A. Canada
B. Mexico
C. Brazil
D. United States

13. Which host country held the tournament for the first time?

A. Canada
B. Mexico
C. United States
D. None (all had hosted before)

14. Mexico became the first country to host the World Cup how many times?

A. Two
B. Three
C. Four
D. Five

15. How many total host cities were selected for the tournament?

A. 12
B. 14
C. 16
D. 20

16. Out of the 16 host cities, how many were located in the United States?

A. 2
B. 3
C. 11
D. 13

17. Which stadium hosted the opening match on June 11, 2026?

A. MetLife Stadium
B. SoFi Stadium
C. Estadio Azteca
D. BMO Field

18. Which stadium was the venue for the final match?

A. MetLife Stadium
B. AT&T Stadium
C. Mercedes-Benz Stadium
D. Arrowhead Stadium

19. Which venue hosted the most matches (9) during the tournament?

A. MetLife Stadium
B. AT&T Stadium
C. Estadio Azteca
D. SoFi Stadium

20. What is the alternative name for MetLife Stadium used during the tournament?

A. Dallas Stadium
B. Mexico City Stadium
C. New York New Jersey Stadium
D. East Rutherford Arena

21. Which city is home to BMO Field?

A. Toronto
B. Vancouver
C. Houston
D. Philadelphia

22. Which host nation's capital was the ONLY one selected to host matches?

A. Ottawa
B. Washington, D.C.
C. Mexico City
D. None of them

23. Which stadium is the only venue to have been used in three different World Cups?

A. Rose Bowl
B. Estadio Azteca
C. Soldier Field
D. Maracanã

24. How many host cities were chosen in Canada?

A. 2
B. 3
C. 5
D. 1

25. Total revenue generated by the event was reportedly a record of:

A. $5 billio

B. $10 billion
C. $15 billion
D. $20 billion

Section 3: Format & Expansion

26. How many teams participated in the 2026 FIFA World Cup?

A. 32
B. 40
C. 48
D. 64

27. What was the total number of matches played in the expanded format?

A. 64
B. 80
C. 104
D. 128

28. The 48 teams were divided into how many groups?

A. 8
B. 10
C. 12
D. 16

29. How many teams were in each group during the group stage?

A. 3
B. 4
C. 5
D. 6

30. How many matches did a team have to play to reach the semifinals in 2026?

A. 6
B. 7
C. 8
D. 9

31. How many "best third-place teams" advanced to the knockout stage?

A. 4
B. 6
C. 8
D. 12

32. What was the new knockout round introduced in this tournament?

A. Round of 64
B. Round of 32
C. Round of 16
D. Preliminary Knockout

33. How long did the 2026 tournament last?

A. 29 days
B. 32 days
C. 39 days
D. 45 days

34. Which FIFA president first suggested expanding the tournament to 48 teams?

A. Michel Platini
B. Sepp Blatter
C. Gianni Infantino
D. João Havelange

35. How many group matches did each team play?

A. 2
B. 3
C. 4
D. 5

36. In the 16-groups-of-3 format that was explored but rejected, how many matches would there have been?

A. 64
B. 80
C. 88
D. 104

37. What was the primary criticism of having groups of three teams?

A. Too many matches
B. Not enough revenue
C. Risk of collusion between teams
D. Travel distances

38. Teams reaching the semifinals played how many matches in previous 32-team formats?

A. 6
B. 7
C. 8
D. 5

39. On what date in 2023 was the 12-groups-of-4 format officially approved?

A. January 10
B. March 14
C. December 5
D. February 4

40. Total attendance for the tournament surpassed which previous record-holding year?

A. 1970
B. 1986
C. 2022
D. 1994

Section 4: Rules & Officiating

41. Under the new substitution rule, how many seconds does a player have to exit the field?

A. 10 seconds
B. 15 seconds
C. 20 seconds
D. 30 seconds

42. If a player exceeds the substitution time limit, how long must the substitute wait to enter?

A. 30 seconds
B. 1 minute
C. 2 minutes
D. Until the next ball out of play

43. What is the time limit for "visual countdown" restarts for throw-ins and goal kicks?

A. 3 seconds
B. 5 seconds
C. 10 seconds
D. 8 seconds

44. In the 2026 Cup, what was awarded to the opposing team if a player wasted time on a goal kick?

A. Indirect free kick
B. Penalty
C. Corner kick
D. Yellow card

45. Outfield players receiving medical treatment on the field must now wait how long to return?

A. 30 seconds
B. 1 minute
C. 2 minutes
D. 5 minutes

46. Which of these can VAR now review under the expanded rules?

A. Wrongly awarded throw-ins
B. Wrongly awarded corner kicks
C. Every yellow card
D. Offsides in the middle third

47. A player who covers their mouth while confronting an opponent to avoid lip-reading is now:

A. Warned
B. Cautioned (Yellow)
C. Sent off (Red)
D. Suspended for the next game

48. What happened to players or officials who left the field in protest?

A. They were fined
B. They were sent off
C. The match was forfeited
D. They were banned for 1 year

49. How long were the mandatory hydration breaks in each half?

A. 1 minute
B. 2 minutes
C. 3 minutes
D. 5 minutes

50. How many female match officials were appointed for the tournament?

A. 3
B. 6
C. 10
D. 12

Section 5: Rules & Officiating (Continued)

51. Which referee was refused entry to the U.S. despite having valid documents?

A. Tori Penso
B. Omar Artan
C. Slavko Vinčić
D. Anthony Taylor

52. The 2026 Cup featured the second all-female refereeing trio in men's World Cup history. Which match did they officiate?

A. Czech Republic vs. South Africa
B. Spain vs. Argentina
C. USA vs. Paraguay
D. Brazil vs. Japan

53. If teams are tied on points in the group stage, what is the FIRST tiebreaker?

A. Overall goal difference
B. Total goals scored
C. Points in head-to-head matches
D. FIFA World Ranking

54. Yellow card counts were reset after the group stage and after which other round?

A. Round of 32
B. Round of 16
C. Quarterfinals
D. Semifinals

55. How many video assistant referees (VARs) were appointed for the tournament?

A. 15
B. 20
C. 30
D. 52

Section 5: Teams & Qualification

56. Which of these nations made their World Cup debut in 2026?

A. Qatar
B. Uzbekistan
C. DR Congo
D. Iraq

57. Which debutant nation was previously part of the Soviet Union?

A. Jordan
B. Cape Verde
C. Curaçao
D. Uzbekistan

58. Which former champion failed to qualify for its third consecutive World Cup?

A. Germany
B. Brazil
C. Italy
D. Uruguay

59. Which confederation was guaranteed a berth in the final tournament for the first time?

A. CAF
B. CONCACAF
C. OFC
D. AFC

60. How many teams from the 2022 edition also appeared in 2026?

A. 16
B. 26
C. 32
D. 48

61. DR Congo returned to the World Cup for the first time since which year?

A. 1930
B. 1950
C. 1974
D. 1986

62. Which host nation was placed in Group D?

A. Mexico
B. Canada
C. United States
D. None

63. The top how many teams in the FIFA Men's World Ranking made it to the semifinals?

A. 2
B. 3
C. 4
D. 8

64. Which team was the highest-ranking nation (12th) that did NOT qualify?

A. Norway
B. Italy
C. Egypt
D. Colombia

65. The inter-confederation playoff tournament to decide the last two spots was held in:

A. Canada
B. Mexico
C. USA
D. Qatar

66. By what date were teams required to name their final squads?

A. May 24
B. June 2
C. June 11
D. July 1

67. What was the average travel distance for teams between venues?

A. 2,000 miles
B. 4,500 miles
C. 5,146 miles
D. 7,054 miles

68. In the United 2026 bid, which country did they beat in the final vote?

A. Morocco
B. Egypt
C. China
D. England

69. How many votes did the United bid receive compared to Morocco's 65?

A. 101
B. 134
C. 150
D. 200

70. Which team won the FIFA Fair Play Trophy?

A. Spain
B. Argentina
C. Netherlands
D. Japan

Section 6: Awards & Statistics

71. Who won the Golden Boot for most goals scored (10)?

A. Lionel Messi
B. Kylian Mbappé
C. Jude Bellingham
D. Erling Haaland

72. Who was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament?

A. Lionel Messi
B. Kylian Mbappé
C. Rodri
D. Lamine Yamal

73. Who won the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper?

A. Unai Simón
B. Emiliano Martínez
C. Jordan Pickford
D. Vozinha

74. Who won the Young Player Award?

A. Lamine Yamal
B. Pau Cubarsí
C. Jude Bellingham
D. Gavi

75. Kylian Mbappé became the first player to win:

A. Three Golden Boots
B. Multiple World Cup Golden Boots
C. Five World Cups
D. The Golden Ball three times

Section 6: Awards & Statistics 

76. Who scored the most goals for England (7) during the tournament?

A. Harry Kane
B. Jude Bellingham
C. Bukayo Saka
D. Declan Rice

77. How many goals did Lionel Messi score in the 2026 tournament?

A. 5
B. 7
C. 8
D. 10

78. Which player received the "Superior Player of the Match" award 5 times?

A. Lionel Messi
B. Rodri
C. Kylian Mbappé
D. Cristiano Ronaldo

79. What was the total prize money distributed for the 2026 tournament?

A. $440 million
B. $871 million
C. $1 billion
D. $1.5 billion

80. How much prize money did the winning team receive?

A. $30 million
B. $42 million
C. $50 million
D. $100 million

81. Every qualified team received a minimum preparation fee of:

A. $1 million
B. $2.5 million
C. $5 million
D. $10 million

82. Who is the all-time leading goalscorer at the World Cup as of 2026?

A. Miroslav Klose
B. Pelé
C. Kylian Mbappé
D. Lionel Messi

83. Which player scored an own goal against both Belgium and Australia?

A. Cameron Burgess
B. Diney
C. Mohamed Hany
D. Miro Muheim

84. How many goals did Erling Haaland score in the tournament?

A. 5
B. 7
C. 8
D. 10

85. Which goalkeeper was named in the "Dream XI" by FIFA.com users?

A. Unai Simón
B. Emiliano Martínez
C. Vozinha
D. Gianluigi Donnarumma

Section 7: Ceremonies, Marketing & Symbols

86. Which match was the 1,000th in FIFA World Cup history?

A. Mexico vs. South Africa
B. Tunisia vs. Japan
C. Spain vs. Argentina
D. USA vs. England

87. Which member of the Japanese Imperial Family attended the 1,000th match?

A. Emperor Naruhito
B. Princess Takamado
C. Prince Akishino
D. Princess Aiko

88. Who headlined the first-ever Super Bowl-style halftime show in World Cup history?

A. Madonna, Shakira, and BTS
B. Taylor Swift and Coldplay
C. Justin Bieber and Post Malone
D. Rihanna and Beyoncé

89. Which musician curated the final halftime show?

A. David Guetta
B. Chris Martin
C. Post Malone
D. Alanis Morissette

90. Who performed the official tournament anthem "DNA (More Than a Game)"?

A. David Guetta
B. Zachary Aaron Golden
C. Shakira
D. Jelly Roll

91. What is the name of the official mascot representing the United States?

A. Maple
B. Zayu
C. Clutch
D. Striker

92. What animal is the Mexican mascot, Zayu?

A. Eagle
B. Moose
C. Jaguar
D. Wolf

93. What is the name of the official 2026 match ball?

A. Al Rihla
B. Jabulani
C. Adidas Trionda
D. Brazuca

94. NASA studied the match ball's mass distribution in microgravity aboard:

A. The Apollo capsule
B. The International Space Station
C. The Orion spacecraft
D. SpaceX Starship

95. The official logo featured a stacked "26" with what in front of it?

A. A photo of the World Cup Trophy
B. A stylized soccer ball
C. Three flags
D. A map of North America

96. Which artist created the official tournament poster (representing the U.S.)?

A. Carson Ting
B. Minerva GM
C. Hank Willis Thomas
D. Zachary Golden

97. What was the starting price for a group stage ticket?

A. $20
B. $60
C. $100
D. $150

98. Which platform was named a "preferred platform" for World Cup video content?

A. X (formerly Twitter)
B. TikTok
C. Instagram
D. Facebook

99. Total cumulative attendance for the tournament was:

A. 3.5 million
B. 5.2 million
C. 6.8 million
D. 8.1 million

100. Which politician was awarded the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize during the draw?

A. Mark Carney
B. Claudia Sheinbaum
C. Donald Trump
D. Gianni Infantino

📥 Prefer reading offline?

You can also download the complete FIFA World Cup 2026 MCQs in PDF format and revise anytime, anywhere. Simply click the download button below to get your free copy.

⬇️ Download the PDF and start your revision now! HERE 

Conclusion

That's it! Hope these 100 FIFA World Cup 2026 MCQs made your revision a little easier. If you found them helpful, bookmark this page and share it with your friends. More exam-oriented MCQs and study notes are coming soon. Happy learning!