The Daily Five — Tuesday, 18 August 2026
The set the whole world played that day, with answers and the stories behind them.
1 of 5 · Records
Which country lost three World Cup finals in the 1990s and 2000s combined without winning one of them?
- Italy lost 1994, Argentina lost 1990
- Netherlands
- Germany
- Brazil
The Netherlands hold the unwanted record of three finals lost overall.
2 of 5 · Goalkeepers
Whose 2001 move to Juventus made him the world's most expensive goalkeeper, a record that stood for 17 years?
- Gianluigi Buffon
- Edwin van der Sar
- Oliver Kahn
- Iker Casillas
Juventus paid Parma about 52 million euros, a fee no club topped for a keeper until Liverpool bought Alisson in 2018. —
read the legend's page
3 of 5 · Copa América
Argentina ended 28 years without a trophy at the Maracanã in 2021. Who scored the only goal of that Copa América final against Brazil?
- Ángel Di María
- Lionel Messi
- Lautaro Martínez
- Rodrigo De Paul
Rodrigo De Paul's long pass sent Di María clear and he chipped Ederson, ending Argentina's 28-year drought and handing Messi his first senior title.
4 of 5 · Argentine club football
Which Argentine giant went down to the second division for the first time in their history in 2011?
- River Plate
- Racing Club
- Independiente
- San Lorenzo
A play-off defeat to Belgrano sent River down amid riots at the Monumental, they came straight back up after one season, and in 2015 they were champions of South America again.
5 of 5 · Ballon d'Or
Which defender won the Ballon d'Or in 2006 after captaining Italy to the World Cup?
- Fabio Cannavaro
- Paolo Maldini
- Alessandro Nesta
- Lilian Thuram
Play today's five