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The Matildas have been one of our greatest sporting sides for many years now and it is wonderful to see them playing against the best in the world. 

Football is so full of maths and numbers. How did you score? 

Answers to the World Cup Maths Quiz

1. True. As of March 2023, Sam Kerr was the highest paid women's soccer player in the world, earning an estimated annual salary of around $513,000 USD.

2. True. Australia have played in 26 matches prior to the start of this tournament, winning seven and drawing six to give them an overall record of 50%.

3. False. Australia's total of 38 goals places them at 9th on the all time goal scoring list.

4. True. The tallest player competing at this year's World Cup is Philippine’s goalkeeper Kaija Jota Standing at 190 cm tall. 

5. True. 32 matches will be played in the 2023 women’s World Cup.

6. False. Australia has made the quarter-finals only once at the World Cup.  

7. True. Excluding extra time, injury time and time on, a soccer game is longer than a standard AFL game or rugby game. 

8. True. Lydia Williams and Clare Polkinghorne, revered figures in Australian football, have earned the distinction of being the only male or female Australian players to participate in five FIFA World Cup finals tournaments.

9. False. There are 23 players in Australia’s World Cup squad.

10. True. The youngest player in Australia’s squad is Mary Fowler at 20 years old. 

11. False. it is Marta, of Brazil with 17 goals who has scored the most. She is regarded by many as the greatest female soccer player of all time.

12. True. Australia holds the record for the most all time player sending offs at the World Cup with three.

13. True. Alicia Ferguson was sent off in the 2nd minute of the 1999 match between Australia and China.

14. False. Excluding the goalie it is es=mated that the average soccer player runs approximately 11 km in a game while the average AFL player runs approximately 12–14 kilometres in a game.

15. True. A soccerball has 32 shapes on it.

16. False. There are 12 Pentagon’s and 20 hexagons.

17. True. The pentagons on a soccer ball are all black. 

18. True. If you bounce a soccer ball 15 times on your left foot and twice as many times on your right foot, it will bounce at 45 times in total.

19. False. The average weight of an Aussie rules ball is between 450 to 480 g and the average weight of a soccerball is between 410 to 450 g.

20. True. With an amazing 156 caps (matches).

21. False. It was the Matildas when they beat Brazil 1–0 in the round of 16 game at the 2015 World Cup in Canada.

22. True. 90,185 fans watched the 1999 World Cup final, with USA beating China on penalties.

23. False. Australia is ranked 13th.

24. True. Prior to the start of the 2023 tournament, Sam Kerr held the record for the most goals scored by a Matilda at a single Women’s World Cup tournament with five goals.

25. False. It is Lisa De Vanna with 7 goals.

26. True. If the 20 hexagons on a soccer ball have six edges each then this gives 120 edges. If the 12 Pentagon’s have five edges each this gives 60 edges. This makes 180 edges in total. This means that 90 of these edges would have to be sewn together when making a soccer ball. 

Source: Felstead Education

Laura Leung

Teaching and Learning