Lionel Messi finally lifted the trophy in 2022, captaining this South American country to World Cup glory in Qatar.
Argentina
On any map of Europe, this Mediterranean country is instantly recognisable — it's shaped like a boot.
Italy
Kings, queens, knights and 64 squares — this classic strategy game has been beating boredom for centuries.
Chess
Two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom make up a single molecule of this everyday substance.
Water

A classic sundae is finished with whipped cream and one of these red fruits perched on top.
Sundae
This year's World Cup is jointly hosted by the USA, Canada and this third country — the first three-nation World Cup ever.
Mexico
At 8,849 metres above sea level, this Himalayan peak is the world's tallest mountain.
Mount Everest
In Monopoly, you collect $200 every time you pass this corner square.
Go

Weighing up to six tonnes, this African giant is the largest land animal on Earth.
Elephant
Split lengthwise and topped with three scoops and plenty of sauce, this fruit gives a famous sundae its name.
Banana (Split)
With five titles (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002), this country has won more World Cups than any other.
Brazil
Sydney and Melbourne both lost the argument — this purpose-built compromise city is Australia's capital.
Canberra
Invented by a Hungarian architecture professor in 1974, this six-coloured twisty puzzle has frustrated fidgeters ever since.
Rubiks cube
Prized by pirates and jewellers alike, this precious element carries the chemical symbol Au.
Gold
Denser, silkier and served slightly warmer than regular ice cream, this Italian treat's name simply means "frozen."
Gelato
Nicknamed "The King," this Brazilian legend remains the only player to win three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970).
Pelé
Thanks to far-flung overseas territories from Polynesia to the Caribbean, this European country spans 12 time zones — more than any other nation.
France
Triple word score! In the English edition of this classic tile game, Q and Z are each worth a whopping 10 points.
Scrabble
It's the only metal that is liquid at room temperature — and it shares its name with the planet closest to the Sun.
Mercury
Cherry Garcia and Phish Food come from Ben & Jerry's, the ice cream maker headquartered in this New England state.
Vermont
In a 1986 quarter-final, Diego Maradona scored the infamous "Hand of God" goal against this country — then dribbled past half its team for the "Goal of the Century."
England
Nestled in the Himalayas, this kingdom's capital is Thimphu — and it famously measures progress in Gross National Happiness.
Bhutan
Programmer Alexey Pajitnov created the falling-block classic Tetris in 1984 while working at a science academy in this country.
The Soviet Union

In 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick described the double-helix structure of this molecule of life.
DNA

Despite its frosty name, this dessert of ice cream baked under torched meringue was popularised in New York — reportedly to celebrate a chilly 1867 US land purchase.
Baked Alaska
