Plus: scoring in four World Cups; are the European champions cursed; and the 20-year gap between tournament appearances. Mail us here or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU

“Everton and Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o took part in the 1998 World Cup and is still playing in Turkey,” tweets Deej. “Is there anyone still playing professionally who appeared at an earlier World Cup?”

Let’s proceed straight to an age-old favourite: Kazuyoshi Miura, the Japanese forward who last year, at the age of 50, broke Sir Stanley Matthews’ record to become the oldest goalscorer in professional football history. He didn’t actually play in the World Cup but let’s not split hairs when the trivia is this rewarding. “Miura comes close as part of Japan’s 1994 play-off-losing side (and wasn’t part of 1998 because of a spat with the coach),” notes Tom Prankerd. “Brad Friedel (retired 2015) seems to have been the last active professional player to be part of the 1994 World Cup, unless Sigurd Rushveldt’s comeback with Lyngen/Karnes is in need of an update.”

Which stars were left out of Panini's World Cup sticker albums? | The Knowledge Read more

To another legend, then. “A young Gianluigi Buffon could be found on the Italian bench in 1998, having starred in their play-off win over Russia,” muses Niall MacGalloway. “Shinji Ono, who played for Japan in 1998, is still plying his trade for Consadole Sapporo in the J1 League. Lee Dong-guk also played in that tournament for South Korea, and is now at Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.”

A few players from the 2002 World Cup are still earning a living through association football, including Japan midfielder Junichi Inamoto, the Cameroon keeper Carlos Kameni and Nigeria keeper Austin Ejide. As Kameni and Ejide are only 34 years old, they could well appear when this question is updated in 2022.

Have you got any other examples? If so, email knowledge@theguardian.com or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU.

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Scoring in four World Cups

“Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick against Spain means he has now scored in four different World Cups,” notes Paula Diaz. “Is this a record?”

Ronaldo has indeed scored in all four tournaments since his debut 12 years ago, though he had only managed three World Cup goals in all before that hat-trick on Friday: a penalty against Iran in 2006, the last goal in the 7-0 win over North Korea in 2010 and a futile winner against Ghana in 2014, when Portugal went out of the tournament on goal difference.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A young Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his first World Cup goal, against Iran in 2006. Photograph: Torsten Silz/AFP/Getty Images

Scoring in four World Cups is a record, albeit one he has to share with three other players – at least until Qatar 2022. Pelé and the West German Uwe Seeler both scored in every World Cup between 1958 and 1970, while Miroslav Klose scored for Germany in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014.



There’s another player who could join the club in this tournament – not Lionel Messi (he failed to score in 2010) but Australia’s Tim Cahill. He was on target for Australia in 2006, 2010 and 2014.

The curse of the European champions

“My friend reckons Portugal are doomed to fail in Russia because the European champions are cursed at the following World Cup,” writes Abby Phipps. “Is this true?”

It’s not quite a curse but there is a notable history of the European champions failing at the World Cup two years later. Portugal have avoided the first obstacle by actually qualifying: Czechoslovakia (who won Euro 76), Denmark (Euro 92) and Greece (Euro 2004) all failed to do that – though Denmark had a helluva hard luck story to tell.

Three other European champions failed to get past the group stage – two of them shockingly so, because they were also world champions at the time. France did not even score a goal in 2002, while Spain’s 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands four years ago was the most jaw-dropping result in modern World Cup history – until Germany plugged Brazil 7-1 in the semi-finals 25 days later. Spain were also eliminated in the group stage at the 1966 World Cup.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The return of a half-fit Zinedine Zidane for the final match against Denmark could not save France from a shock elimination in 2002. Photograph: Bae Jae-Man/AP

That makes six out of 14 European champions who have made a mess of their World Cup campaign. We can probably add the Netherlands to the list. Their magnificent team stunk out Italia 90, failing to win a game in the group stage before being well beaten by West Germany in the last 16. The only thing most people remember about their campaign for is Frank Rijkaard deciding to moisten Rudi Völler’s mullet.

There have been a few success stories: West Germany (1972) and Spain (2008) won the World Cup two years after becoming champions of Europe, while West Germany’s villainous team reached the final in 1982 – the same as Italy in 1970. But overall, it’s not the greatest record. Here’s the full list:

1962 Soviet Union lost in the quarter-finals



Soviet Union lost in the quarter-finals 1966 Spain were eliminated in the group stage



Spain were eliminated in the group stage 1970 Italy lost in the final



Italy lost in the final 1974 West Germany won the World Cup



West Germany won the World Cup 1978 Czechoslovakia failed to qualify



Czechoslovakia failed to qualify 1984 West Germany lost in the final



West Germany lost in the final 1986 France lost in the semi-finals



France lost in the semi-finals 1990 Netherlands lost in the last 16



Netherlands lost in the last 16 1994 Denmark failed to qualify



Denmark failed to qualify 1998 Germany lost in the quarter-finals



Germany lost in the quarter-finals 2002 France went out in the group stage



France went out in the group stage 2006 Greece failed to quality



Greece failed to quality 2010 Spain won the World Cup



Spain won the World Cup 2014 Spain went out in the group stage

Knowledge archive

“What’s the longest gap between World Cup appearances for a player?” pondered R Reisman back in 2014. “Has anyone ever missed two tournaments and then come back to play again?”

Yes, is the quick answer. The most obvious is Michael Laudrup, who appeared in the great Denmark side of 1986 (which, as it happens, you can read all about in this little tome), then had to wait 12 years before he could play in another World Cup, as Denmark failed to qualify in 1990 and 1994. However, he was still around for France 1998, and his last game in that tournament happened to be his final ever game of professional football

“Niall Quinn was a member of the Republic of Ireland squad at Italia ‘90,” writes Philip in Dublin. “As he was injured in 1994 and RoI failed to qualify for 1998, Quinn didn’t see the World Cup again until Japan and South Korea in 2002.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Ireland manager Mick McCarthy embraces Niall Quinn after the team went out of the 2002 World Cup. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA

Doug Coyle points out a similar gap between the Costa Rica forward Hernan Medford’s first appearance in 1990 and his last in 2002, but Marcelo Leal has perhaps the definitive suggestion: “Colombian goalkeeper Faryd Mondragón was part of the squad in 1994 (did not play) and 1998 (three appearances) and now, at age 43, is part of the 23-man squad called by José Pekerman. If he manages to stay fit until their first game in Brazil, it will be 20 years since he was first part of a WC squad and 16 since his first WC match.”

[update – Mondragón did play at Brazil 2014, coming on as an 85th-minute substitute for David Ospina in the 4-1 win over Japan.]

Can you help?

Chris 🐦🇨🇷 (@salishsea86) .@TheKnowledge_GU in today’s World Cup opener Salem Al-Dawsari’s shirt number was 18. The 8 was printed upside down.



What other examples are there of shirt printing errors at the World Cup?

Adam (@adz_365) @TheKnowledge_GU huge ask but I’m wondering, what club has had the all time most appearances of players from their club at the World Cup?

Bad Photos At Gigs (@BadPhotosAtGigs) @TheKnowledge_GU all this world cup malarkey got me thinking - has an England player ever made their international debut in the finals of a tournament?

Alex G (@alexiterick) Japan's victory over Colombia was the first win by an AFC team over a CONMEBOL team at a World Cup. Excluding the OFC (as no OFC team has ever won a World Cup match), are there any match-ups left where one confederation has never beaten another?

Neil Gannon (@NeilPGannon) Hello @TheKnowledge_GU any chance you guys might know who scored the furthest out goal at a World Cup?

“What is the earliest known team photo?” asks John Briggs.