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To what extent can you recall the most shocking events from FIFA World Cup qualification campaigns? Try this quiz to see the number of questions you recall.

World Cup Qualification Quiz

1. Question 1. In 1973, Poland goalkeeper Jan Tomaszewski produced a string of stops at Wembley to prevent the hosts a place at the 1974 edition FIFA World Cup. He had been described 'a gloved clown' by what England coach?

   • Alf Ramsey
   • Coach Brian Clough
   • Don Revie
   • Ron Greenwood manager
   Display Answer

2. Question 2. France's most embarrassing FIFA World Cup disappointment came in 1993, when they did not manage to qualify after losing their final two games at home to the Israeli team and ...

   • Bulgaria
   • Romania
   • Sweden
   • The Luxembourg side
   Display Answer

3. 3. Who did Gerard Houllier hold at fault for France's elimination, describing him 'the assassin' of their World Cup hopes?

   • Eric Cantona
   • David Ginola
   • Goalkeeper Bernard Lama
   • Didier Deschamps player
   Reveal Answer

4. 4. In 2006, which 2 Africa nations achieved their only FIFA World Cup appearances to this day after denying Senegal and the Nigerian side in qualification?

   • Togo with Angola
   • Zambia and Botswana
   • Tanzania and Libya
   • Mali with Ethiopia
   Display Result

5. Question 5. Italy, the four-times World Cup winners, have not managed to qualify for the finals since 2014. Who beat them from the qualifying playoffs in 2022?

   • Sweden
   • Switzerland
   • The Portuguese team
   • North Macedonia
   Show Answer

6. Question 6. What side qualified in front of Mexico for the 1982 World Cup, only to suffer defeat in their opening game 10-1?

   • Canada
   • The Cuban team
   • El Salvador
   • Honduras
   Show Result

7. 7. The 1982 edition World Cup had a few surprise participants. What nation earned their sole World Cup participation to this day with an 89th-minute tying goal against New Zealand?

   • The Haitian team
   • Iraq
   • Kuwait
   • The UAE team
   Reveal Solution

8. Question 8. You'll likely remember that a Thierry Henry's hand ball assisted the French team make it at the Ireland's expense in 2009. However which player did Henry assist to score?

   • Anelka
   • Player Benzema
   • William Gallas
   • Sidney Govou
   Display Solution

9. Question 9. The sole men World Cup the Argentine team have attempted and not managed to qualify for was in 1970. Which team secured their berth?

   • Brazil
   • Colombia
   • Peru
   • Uruguay
   Show Answer

10. Question 10. Román Torres' 88th-minute winner against Costa Rica won a thrilling World Cup 2018 berth for what side?

    • Honduras
    • Mexico
    • The Panamanian team
    • Uruguay
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11. 11. What part was Peter Hore have in Australia's away goals loss to Iran in a play-off for the 1998 World Cup?

    • Famous as a notorious prankster, Hore went onto the pitch and broke a goal net with Australia leading 3-1 on total. The break in the game allowed the Iranian team to recover into the match and score two last-minute scores.
    • Australian centre-back Hore scored an own goal that put Iran into the finals at Australia' expense.
    • As Australia foreign minister, Hore stopped the squad from going to Tehran, leading to a 3-0 loss they could not overturn in Melbourne city.
    • Peter Hore was a former Australian assistant coach who joined Iran's coaching staff before the playoff matches.
    Reveal Answer

12. 12. Australia finally ended their long wait for a 2nd World Cup participation by defeating what nation on penalty kicks in 2005?

    • The Iranian team
    • The Japanese team
    • Peru
    • Uruguay
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13. Question 13. The Dutch side whose 'total football' amazed the football world in 1974 nearly did not make it, saved by a debated offside flag against ...

    • Belgium
    • The Czechoslovak team
    • The English team
    • The Yugoslav team
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14. Question 14. Back in 2009, which player scored a late winner for the Argentine team against Peru in driving rainfall to save their qualification bid?

    • Player Higuaín
    • Mascherano
    • Messi
    • Martín Palermo
    Display Answer

15. Question 15. In the famous 'Davide Gualtieri game' in 1993, what number of goals was the English team need to defeat San Marino by to have a chance of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup?

    • 3
    • Five goals
    • 7
    • 10
    Show Result

Challenge your own knowledge of these historic World Cup qualifying stories and find out how many you got right.