FIFA World Cup History Quiz | Origins and Global Growth, 1930–1970

The two matches began simultaneously, but the tournament's first goal came in the 19th minute of France v Mexico, through Laurent. France won that match 4-1. The point is not to settle on a single "first match" but to distinguish which of the simultaneous fixtures produced the first goal, and who scored it.

Hosts Uruguay went ahead, were overturned, and trailed 1-2 at the break. But Cea, Iriarte and Castro scored after half-time to make it 4-2 and crown them the first champions. It was settled inside 90 minutes, not by extra time or a replay.

Penalty shoot-outs had not yet been introduced, so a replay was held the following day and Italy won 1-0. Only about twenty-one and a half hours separated the two kick-offs, and players who featured in both played 210 minutes within 24 hours. Modern methods of settling a tie after extra time cannot simply be read back onto this.

Leônidas scored three in the 6-5 win over Poland and also scored in both the quarter-final against Czechoslovakia and its replay. He missed the semi-final defeat to Italy through injury. It was neither a first-match cameo nor an ever-present campaign: he scored across several rounds to finish as the tournament's leading scorer.

1950 is the only tournament with no separate final, the title being decided in a four-team final group. In the match that settled it, Brazil scored first, but Schiaffino equalized and Ghiggia got the winner for a 2-1 Uruguay victory. A draw would have been enough for Brazil, which is what makes the comeback so significant.

Hungary were 2-0 up inside 8 minutes through Puskás and Czibor, but West Germany were back to 2-2 by the 18th through Morlock and Rahn. After a long stalemate, Rahn got the winner in the 84th minute. There was no extra time or shoot-out: the comeback was built on an early recovery and a late strike.

Pelé became the youngest scorer in tournament history in the quarter-final against Wales, recorded the youngest hat-trick in the semi-final against France, and was the youngest scorer in a final against Sweden. The hat-trick came in the semi-final, not the final, and none of it concerns captaincy or a sending-off.

Pelé was injured in the second group match and could not play thereafter. Even so, Garrincha, Vavá and Amarildo carried the scoring, and Brazil beat Czechoslovakia 3-1 in the final. Retaining the title rested not on Pelé playing throughout but on a team covering the loss of a key player between several others.

Greaves, the first-choice striker, was injured, and Hurst came in for the knockout rounds. In the final against West Germany he scored once inside 90 minutes and twice in extra time for the first hat-trick in a final. What matters is that this was not the simple story of an undisputed starter from the outset.

Brazil became the first three-time winners in 1970 and kept the Jules Rimet Trophy permanently. From 1974, therefore, the new FIFA World Cup Trophy still used today came into service. The current trophy has no equivalent provision allowing a country to keep it after three wins.