40 sports quiz questions for your next pub quiz

Sports rounds are polarising. Get them wrong and you'll watch half the room disengage while the one football obsessive on each team takes over. Get them right and they're one of the best parts of the quiz.

The secret is asking questions that reward general awareness, not encyclopaedic knowledge. Most people know who won the last World Cup. Far fewer know the goalkeeper's middle name.

Here are 30 sports questions that work well at quiz nights, covering a range of sports so there's something for everyone.

Easy Questions

Start here. These are questions that anyone who's vaguely aware of sport should be able to answer.

Q1: How many players are on a football team on the pitch at one time?

Ans: 11

Q2: In tennis, what score is known as "love"?

Ans: Zero

Q3: Which country has won the most FIFA World Cups?

Ans: Brazil (5)

Q4: What sport does Tiger Woods play?

Ans: Golf

Q5: How many rings are on the Olympic flag?

Ans: Five

Q6: In which city were the 2012 Summer Olympics held?

Ans: London

Q7: What colour jersey does the leader of the Tour de France wear?

Ans: Yellow

Q8: Which boxer was known as "The Greatest"?

Ans: Muhammad Ali

Q9: How many points is a try worth in rugby union?

Ans: 5 points

Q10: What sport is played at Wimbledon?

Ans: Tennis

Medium Questions

These require a bit more sports knowledge but shouldn't stump anyone who follows news generally.

Q11: Which team won the 2023 Rugby World Cup?

Ans: South Africa

Q12: In which sport would you perform a slam dunk?

Ans: Basketball

Q13: What is the maximum break in snooker?

Ans: 147

Q14: In cricket, how many balls are there in an over?

Ans: 6

Q15: Which country hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup?

Ans: Qatar

Q16: What nationality is tennis player Rafael Nadal?

Ans: Spanish

Q17: In golf, what term describes a score of one under par on a hole?

Ans: Birdie

Q18: Which English football club plays at Anfield?

Ans: Liverpool

Q19: How many Grand Slam tournaments are there in tennis each year?

Ans: Four (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open)

Q20: Which sprinter holds the 100m world record?

Ans: Usain Bolt (9.58 seconds)

Harder Questions

These will separate the sports fans from the casual observers. Use sparingly.

Q21: In American football, how many points is a touchdown worth?

Ans: 6 points (before the extra point attempt)

Q22: Which country has won the most Olympic gold medals in history?

Ans: United States

Q23: What is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament played on clay courts?

Ans: French Open (Roland Garros)

Q24: Which football club has won the most English league titles?

Ans: Manchester United (20)

Q25: What year did Leicester City win the Premier League?

Ans: 2016

Q26: Which golfer has won the most major championships?

Ans: Jack Nicklaus (18)

Q27: Which country has appeared in three FIFA World Cup finals but never won?

Ans: Netherlands

Q28: What is the only country to have played in every FIFA World Cup?

Ans: Brazil

Q29: In darts, what is the highest possible score with a single dart?

Ans: 60 (triple 20)

Q30: Who did England beat in the final of the 2022 Women's European Championship?

Ans: Germany

Tips for Sports Rounds

Balance the sports. Don't ask seven football questions and one each of tennis, rugby, and cricket. Mix them up so different people can contribute.

Include different eras. Older participants might know more about 1990s sports, while younger ones are better on recent events. A good round spans decades.

Consider your audience. A quiz in a rugby club can be heavier on rugby questions. A general pub quiz needs broader appeal.

Women's sport deserves space. The Lionesses' Euro 2022 win, women's rugby and cricket growing massively. These are mainstream topics now.