DO YOU KNOW THE TWO MANAGERS THAT HAVE THE RECORD OF COACHING FIVE DIFFERENT NATIONAL TEAMS TO THE FIFA WOLD CUP TOURNAMENT?

Parreira & Milutinovic

Bora Milutinović and Carlos Alberto Parreira are the only two managers to have coached five different teams at the FIFA World Cup.  

Milutinović managed the host Mexico in 1986, Costa Rica at Italia 1990, host the United States in 1994, Nigeria at France 1998 and China in Korea/Japan 2002.  

Parreira managed Kuwait at Espana 1982, United Arab Emirates at Italia 1990, Brazil in USA 1994 and Germany 2006, Saudi Arabia in France 1998 and host South Africa in 2010.

DO YOU KNOW THE CITY WHERE THE GERMAN BUNDESLIGA WAS CREATED IN 1962?

The defeat of the German Nationalmannschaft (national team) by Yugoslavia (0–1) in a Chile 1962 FIFA World Cup quarter-final game was one impetus (of many) towards the formation of a national league. 

At the annual DFB convention under new Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB) which is the German Football Association president Hermann Gösmann (elected that very day) the German Bundesliga was created in Dortmund at the Westfalenhallen on July 28 1962 to begin play starting with the 1963/1964 season.

DO YOU KNOW THE YOUNGEST GOALKEEPER TO REPRESENT ENGLAND AT THE FIFA WORLD CUP FINALS?

 

Paul Robinson is the youngest goalkeeper to play for England's Three Lions at a FIFA World Cup Finals which he did at the Germany 2006 edition at the age of 26 years and 8 months. He earned 41 caps for England from 2003. 

DO YOU KNOW THE ONLY TWO MANCHESTER UNITED PLAYERS THAT WERE SELECTED BY THEIR COUNTRY FOR THEIR USA 1994 FIFA WORLD CUP SQUAD?

Only Denis Irwin and Roy Keane are the two Manchester United players that were selected by their country; the Republic of Ireland for their USA 1994 FIFA World Cup squad.       


They got to the second round stage at the tournament where they were knocked out by the Oranje of The Netherlands 2-0. They were in the same group with Italy, Norway and Mexico.

DO YOU KNOW THE ENGLAND INTERNATIONAL THAT HAD THE MOST CAPS FOR THE THREE LIONS WITHOUT APPEARING IN A FIFA WORLD CUP AND A UEFA EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP?

Mick Channon with 46 caps and scoring 21 goals is the England Three Lions international that holds the record for having the most caps without appearing in a UEFA European Championship or the FIFA World Cup from 1972 to 1977. He also remains joint 16th in the all-time England scorers list, level with Kevin Keegan.         

Mick Channon poses for Southampton

DO YOU KNOW THE FIRST BRAZILIAN GOALKEEPER IN HISTORY TO BE TEAM CAPTAIN TO A FIFA WORLD CUP TOURNAMENT?

Émerson Leão was the first Brazilian goalkeeper in history to be team captain to a FIFA World Cup tournament. He did this during the Argentina 1978 FIFA World Cup edition where the Selacao of Brazil finished in third place. 

He was part of the winning side that won the Mexico 1970 FIFA World Cup where he was a non playing reserve goalkeeper. In total, he made 80 caps for his national team.

DO YOU KNOW THE FIRST CAPTAIN TO HOIST THE FIFA WORLD CUP TROPHY IN FRONT OF PHOTOGRAPHERS?

Hilderaldo Bellini is Brazil's first FIFA World Cup winning captain in Sweden 1958. Bellini was the man who inadvertently introduced the hoisting of the winning trophy aloft, having done so to allow photographers to see the Jules Rimet Trophy which became a symbol of triumph. He has been honoured with a statue for this feat at the entrance of the Estadio do Maracanã  in Rio de Janeiro.

During his playing career, he was a central defender and he played at club level for Vasco da Gama, São Paulo FC and Atlético Paranaense. Bellini is of Italian origin, he won another FIFA World Cup in Chile 1962 and participated also at England 1966 FIFA World Cup.

DO YOU KNOW THE FIRST STADIUM IN THE WORLD TO HOST TWO FIFA WORLD CUP FINAL MATCHES?

The Estadio Azteca 

The first stadium in the world to host two FIFA World Cup final matches is the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City which hosted the finals in 1970 between the Selecao of Brazil and the Azzurri of Italy and in 1986, between the Albiceleste of Argentina and West Germany. 

According to plans, the Estadio do Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro is expected to host the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup final to make it the second stadium to do so. 

DO YOU KNOW THE YEAR BRAZIL STARTED WEARING THEIR ICONIC YELLOW JERSEY?

The Great 1970 Team

The Selacao of Brazil's first game with their iconic yellow shirts with green trim was in March 1954 against Chile. Prior to this, Brazil wore white shirts with blue trim colours not until they lost the FIFA World Cup at home in the Estadio do Maracanã to Uruguay. 

The white and blue trim colours were criticised for lacking patriotism. With permission from the Brazilian Sports Confederation, the newspaper Correio da Manhã held a competition to design a kit incorporating the four colours of the Brazilian flag. The winning design was a yellow jersey with green trim and blue shorts with white trim drawn by Aldyr Garcia Schlee, a nineteen year old from Pelotas.

DO YOU KNOW WHICH UNFORTUNATE FIFA WORLD CUP FINALS RECORD DOES ERNST WILLIMOWSKI OF POLAND HOLD?

Ernst Willimowski 

Ernst Willimowski of Poland is the only player to score four goals in a FIFA World Cup match, yet still be on the losing team. This happened when Poland lost 5-6 to the Selacao of Brazil in France 1938 FIFA World Cup.

The Poland national football team is known as the Biało-Czerwoni meaning the white and reds. 

DO YOU KNOW THE FIRST ASIAN COUNTRY TO PLAY IN THE FIFA WORLD CUP?

The first Asian country to qualify and play in the FIFA World Cup tournament is Indonesia. They nevertheless got there through the back door, after first Japan and then USA declined the chance to face them in a play-off for a place at France 1938 FIFA World Cup. 

The Gallic adventure of the Dutch East Indies, as they were known before independence from the Netherlands, lasted just 90 minutes, though. Johannes van Mastenbroek’s charges were thumped 6-0 by Hungary. Not one of them was ever capped again. Indonesia are the only team to have played just one FIFA World Cup match.

DO YOU KNOW WHEN DAVID BECKHAM SCORED SCORED HIS FIRST GOAL FOR ENGLAND'S THREE LIONS?

Becks!

David Beckham made his first international cap for England's Three Lions on September 1, 1996 against Moldova in a France 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Wembley Stadium under Glenn Hoddle as manager. 

He however, scored his first goal for his country against Colombia at the FIFA World Cup tournament in a last group game with his trademark long range freekick.

DO YOU KNOW THE MOST CAPPED GOALKEEPER TO EVER PLAY FOR THE SELACAO OF BRAZIL?

Cláudio Taffarel is the most capped goalkeeper to have played for the Selecao of Brazil winning 101 caps from 1988 to 1998 with his last against the Les Bleus in the France 1998 FIFA World Cup final in a 0-3 loss. He made his debut for the national team on July 7, 1988 against Australia in a  Australia Bicentenary Gold Cup, playing all four games and conceding two goals in an eventual win. He was also in goal for the following year's Copa América, in another international conquest (during his 10-year career, he appeared in five editions of the tournament).

Claudio Taffarel

He played for clubs like FC Parma of Italy (twice), Internacional of Brazil, Reggiana of Italy, Atlético Mineiro of Brazil and Galatasaray SK of Turkey where he helped win the UEFA Cup in 2000 against Arsenal FC by saving penalties in that final.

 

 

 

DO YOU KNOW THE PLAYER THAT SCORED THE 1,000TH GOAL IN THE HISTORY OF THE FEDERATION FRANCAISE DE FOOTBALL OVERSEEING MATCHES OF THE LES BLEUS OF FRANCE?

Emmanuel Petit

Emmanuel Petit of the Les Bleus of France scored the last goal of the 21st century in the final of France 1998 FIFA World Cup at the Stade de France in St. Dennis Paris against the Selacao of Brazil.

That same goal happened to be the 1,000th goal in the history of the Fédération Française de Football. The former Arsenal FC and FC Barcelona midfielder earned 63 caps and scored 6 goals from 1990 to 2003 when he played for his country.

DO YOU KNOW WHO SCORED THE FIRST GOAL IN THE BRAZIL 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION COMPETITION?

Deon McCaulay who plays for Honduran club Deportes Savio, as a striker and for Belize on June 15, 2011 in their 5-2 CONCACAF First Round away win against Montserrat scored the first goal in the Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification competition.

 

DO YOU THE MOST CAPPED PLAYER FOR THE SELECAO NATIONAL TEAM OF BRAZIL?

The Selacao Crest

Marcos Evangelista de Moraes was born June 7, 1970, better known as Cafu, is the most internationally capped player for the Selacao of Brazil with 142 caps with 5 goals. 

He earned his first cap in a friendly against the La Furia Roja of Spain on September 12, 1990, and played sparingly for Brazil in the early 1990s, making the USA 94 FIFA World Cup roaster as a substitute. He appeared in the final against the Azzuris of Italy at the Rose Bowl, following an injury to Jorginho in the 22nd minute.

He is the only player ever to have appeared in three FIFA World Cup finals, having won two, USA 94 and Korea/Japan 2002. Cafu also hold the record of winning the most number of matches in FIFA World Cups with 16.

DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY GOALS DIRK KUYT SCORED TO BECOME THE TOPSCORER IN THE DUTCH EREDIVISIE IN THE 2004/2005 SEASON?

Dirk Kuyt who started his career with FC Utretch in 1998 and he transfered to Feyenoord in 2003 where he emerged as the Top Scorer in the Dutch Eredivisie in the 2004/2005 season with 29 goals.

He made his international debut in 2004 and has represented the Netherlands at three major international tournaments, the Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2008.

HOW MANY GOALS DID EMMANUEL SCORED TO LEAD THE SCORING CHART FOR THE JOINT GERMANY 2006 FIFA WORLD CUP AND EGYPT 2006 AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIERS?

Emmanuel Adebayor

Under Nigeria's Stephen Keshi, Emmanuel Adebayor scored 11 goals to finish TopScorer in the Germany 2006 FIFA World Cup and Egypt 2006 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) joint qualifiers for the Hawks of Togo. On February 10, 2009, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) picked Adebayor as the African Footballer of the Year for 2008 at an awards ceremony held in Lagos, Nigeria.

DID YOU KNOW THE ONLY GERMAN PLAYER TO BE SENT-OFF AT THE KOREA/JAPAN FIFA WORLD CUP TOURNAMENT?

Carsten Ramelow sees red

At the 40th minute, Carsten Ramelow was sent off by Spanish referee Antonio López Nieto for Germany in the Korea/Japan 2002 FIFA World Cup last Group E match at the Ecopa Stadium in  Shizuoka. 

It was  against the then African Champions, Indomitable Lions of Cameroon and it ended in a 2-0 scoreline in favour of the European which made him the only German player to be sent-off in the tournament. 

He played mostly for Bayer Leverkusen during his playing career that ended in 2008.

DID YOU KNOW WHO WAS VOTED THE GOALKEEPER OF THE TOURNAMENT AT THE SWEDEN 1958 FIFA WORLD CUP?

Harry Gregg in goal for Man Utd

Harry Gregg who joined Manchester United in 1957 from Doncaster Rovers became the costliest goalkeeper for £23,000 at that time. Just four months after the Munich disaster that claimed lives of the Busby Babes, Gregg played for Northern Ireland at the FIFA World Cup in Sweden. He was taken by land and sea and was voted goalkeeper of the tournament, ahead of Russia’s Lev Yashin.