CDS (I) 2023 General Knowledge · Question 82 of 120

Correct — B, Brazil. Brazil have won the men's FIFA World Cup five times — 1958 in Sweden, 1962 in Chile, 1970 in Mexico, 1994 in the United States and 2002 in Japan and South Korea — which is more than any other country, and no nation has matched that total since. They are also the only side to have appeared at every edition of the tournament. The paper was taken in February 2023, weeks after Argentina had won the 2022 final in Qatar, and that recency is exactly what the item is testing against.

• (a)Argentina — Argentina had three titles — 1978, 1986 and 2022 — at the time of this paper. Their win in Qatar was the freshest football memory when candidates sat the exam, which is what makes this the tempting answer.
• (c)France — France have two, in 1998 and 2018, and were the beaten finalists in 2022.
• (d)Spain — Spain's tally is behind Brazil's throughout. Note that neither Germany nor Italy, who have four titles each and are the actual runners-up to Brazil on this count, appears among the options at all.

The FIFA World Cup for men has been held since 1930, every four years apart from the interruption of the Second World War. Eight nations have won it. Brazil lead with five, Germany and Italy have four each, Argentina three, and France, Uruguay and Spain two each, with England on one. Uruguay hosted and won the first tournament in 1930.

This is a current-affairs question dressed as a sports one, and the trap is recency. A candidate sitting the paper in early 2023 had just watched Argentina lift the trophy, and 'maximum number of times' can slip into 'most recently' under time pressure. Read the stem literally and count. The safest way to hold this fact is by the years rather than the number, because the years are checkable: Brazil in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. The 1970 win is the one usually remembered, since it gave Brazil the original Jules Rimet trophy outright. As of the 2026 tournament Brazil's five is still the highest total any nation has reached, so the answer has not moved since the exam.

• Brazil have won the men's FIFA World Cup five times — 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002.
• Germany and Italy have four titles each; Argentina three; France, Uruguay and Spain two each; England one.
• Brazil are the only team to have played in every edition of the tournament.
• Argentina won the 2022 final in Qatar, a few weeks before this paper was taken.
• The first World Cup was held in Uruguay in 1930, and the hosts won it.

• Reading 'maximum number of times' as 'most recently'.
• Forgetting that Germany and Italy sit second on this list even when they are not among the options.
• Mixing the men's and women's tournaments, which have quite different winners' lists.

As a most-titles or most-recent-winner one-liner, usually within a few months of a major tournament.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Which country won the 2022 FIFA World Cup for men, held in Qatar?

  • (a)France
  • (b)Brazil
  • (c)Argentina
  • (d)Croatia

  Answer(c) Argentina — they beat France in the final, taking their third title after 1978 and 1986.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The first FIFA World Cup for men, held in 1930, was hosted and won by

  • (a)Brazil
  • (b)Italy
  • (c)Uruguay
  • (d)Argentina

  Answer(c) Uruguay — they staged the inaugural tournament and won it.