Sports World: past questions
2026-10-07
- In 1986 this country hosted the 13th FIFA World Cup. The Argentina men's national football team won the trophy.
- Born in 1970, this baseline genius won gold in tennis at the 1996 Summer Olympics. He is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
- Opened in 1882, this stadium holds about 31,367 fans in a northern mill town. It is the home of the local club.
- Opened in 1928, this stadium holds about 50,000 fans. It is the home of a historic southern club.
- Born in 1980, this deep-lying playmaker earned more caps for his national team than any other player. He starred for Gamba Osaka for most of his career.
2026-10-06
- Born in 1976, this striker played for PSV Eindhoven, FC Barcelona, Inter Milan and AC Milan. He won the World Cup Golden Ball.
- In 1934 this country hosted the 2nd FIFA World Cup. The hosts won the trophy.
- Opened in 1912, this stadium hosted an early Summer Olympics and remains largely unchanged. It is the home of Djurgårdens IF.
- Born in 1993, this striker started at R.S.C. Anderlecht and played for Chelsea F.C., Everton F.C. and Manchester United. He became the record scorer of his national team.
- Born in 1992, this creative midfielder broke into Arsenal F.C.'s first team as a teenager, hailed as one of the most promising talents of his generation. Injuries limited his career after loan spells at Bolton Wanderers F.C. and AFC Bournemouth.
2026-10-05
- The world's most famous cycling race was first held here in 1903 and climbs legendary mountain passes in the Alps and the Pyrenees. Its leader wears a yellow jersey, a colour chosen because the newspaper that founded the race was printed on yellow paper.
- This country's rugby team plays in all black and performs the haka, a traditional Māori challenge, before its matches. It won the Rugby World Cup in 1987, 2011 and 2015.
- Born in 1982, this pole vaulter competed at the 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics. She was the first woman to clear five metres.
- Opened in 1999, this motorsport track hosted the first Formula One race of many seasons. It is famous for its intense tropical heat.
- Born in 1988, this attacking right-back won a league title at Schalke 04. He started his career at Kashima Antlers.
2026-10-04
- These were the 3rd Winter Olympics, held in 1932. The host village lies in the mountains of the northeast.
- In 2014 this country hosted the 20th FIFA World Cup. The trophy was lifted by the Germany men's national association football team.
- Opened in 2005, this stadium holds about 32,000 fans. It is the home of BSC Young Boys.
- Born in 1986, this goalkeeper started at Schalke 04 and became known for playing like a sweeper. He was named IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper.
- Born in 1986, this winger won multiple league titles with a famous club. He was known for his tricky dribbling and free kicks.
2026-10-03
- Born in 1987, this tennis player won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. He was also named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.
- Born in 1987, this tennis star won the Best Female Tennis Player ESPY Award. She was one of the most recognisable athletes of her generation.
- Born in 1981, this goalkeeper spent most of his career at Real Madrid before moving to FC Porto. He was named IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper.
- Born in 1961, this sprinter and long jumper competed at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics. He won medals at the World Championships in Athletics in 1991 and 1993.
- Donna Vekić was born in 1996 and reached the top twenty in the world rankings. She played at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
2026-10-02
- This was the 8th edition of the Winter Olympics, held in 1960. The host resort lay near a large alpine lake in the west.
- In 1998 this country hosted the 18th Winter Olympic Games. They were held in a mountain city famous for its temple.
- Born in 1989, this racing driver drove for Marussia F1 and was linked with Scuderia Ferrari. He died in 2015 after a crash.
- Born in 1976, this striker starred for FC Dynamo Kyiv and AC Milan. He won the Ballon d'Or.
- Born in this country in 2002, this tennis player later represented another nation. She won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.
2026-10-01
- In 1972 this country hosted the 11th Winter Olympic Games, the first held in Asia. They took place in a northern snowy city.
- At the 1986 World Cup, this country's captain scored with his hand against England, then minutes later dribbled past half the team for the 'Goal of the Century'. The team went on to lift the trophy in the final.
- Opened in 2012, this motorsport track hosts a Formula One race in a hilly Texan landscape. It has a steep uphill approach to its first corner.
- Born in this country in 1994, this basketball star moved from Filathlitikos B.C. to the Milwaukee Bucks. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award and the NBA Most Improved Player Award.
- Opened in 1958, this motorsport track once hosted a Formula One Grand Prix through volcanic hills. It is famous for its many tight, twisting corners.
2026-09-30
- Born in 1985, this playmaker began at HŠK Zrinjski Mostar and GNK Dinamo Zagreb before joining Tottenham Hotspur F.C. He later won the Ballon d'Or.
- A sprinter from this Caribbean island set the 100 m world record of 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Championships. Nicknamed 'Lightning', he won eight Olympic gold medals across three Games.
- Opened in 1899, this stadium holds about 51,700 fans. It is the home of Rangers F.C.
- Born in 1981, this midfielder started at Real Sociedad and starred for Liverpool F.C. and Real Madrid. He later became a successful manager.
- Born in 1960, this attacking left-back scored the winning penalty in a World Cup final. He starred for Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.
2026-09-29
- Born in 1981, this racing driver became a double world champion with the Renault F1 Team. He also drove for McLaren, Scuderia Ferrari and Aston Martin F1 Team.
- Opened in 1950, this huge stadium is home to Clube de Regatas do Flamengo and Fluminense F.C. It holds about 78,838 spectators and once hosted a famous World Cup decider.
- Opened in 2020, this stadium hosted World Cup matches. It is known as the diamond in the desert.
- Born in 1967, this manager began at 1. FSV Mainz 05 and became famous for heavy metal football. He later won titles in two top leagues.
- Yuriy Sedykh was born in 1955 and holds a long-standing world record in the hammer throw. He won Olympic gold in 1976 and 1980.
2026-09-28
- This football nation won the men's World Cup five times – in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. At the first of those triumphs, a 17-year-old named Pelé dazzled the world.
- Basketball was invented here in 1891 by a PE teacher, James Naismith, who nailed two peach baskets to the balcony of a gym. The country's 1992 Olympic 'Dream Team' starred Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.
- This country tops the all-time medal table of the Winter Olympics, and a mountainous region within it gave its name to the Telemark skiing technique.
- Led by captain Arjuna Ranatunga, this island nation won the 1996 Cricket World Cup, beating Australia in the final in Lahore.
- At the 1960 Olympics, a runner from this country won the marathon barefoot, becoming the first athlete from sub-Saharan Africa to win Olympic gold. Four years later he won the marathon again – this time wearing shoes.