BBC Sport has unveiled an interactive A-Z quiz challenging fans to identify the best-performing World Cup nation for each letter of the alphabet. The quiz launches as the tournament reaches its semi-final stage, offering supporters a historical diversion while the final four prepare for their decisive matches. A key twist requires participants to use the country name active during each team's peak World Cup era, accounting for geopolitical changes such as West Germany, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union.

The format tests knowledge across the competition's 92-year history, from Uruguay's inaugural 1930 triumph to modern powerhouses. Unlike typical prediction games, this quiz rewards historical literacy over current form, forcing fans to weigh longevity against peak achievement — whether Brazil's five titles outweigh Argentina's three, or if Italy's four crowns edge France's two.

BBC has positioned the quiz as companion content for the semi-final buildup, directing users to dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes hubs with notification sign-ups for future challenges. The exercise highlights how World Cup identity remains tangled with 20th-century borders, a reminder that the tournament's record books reflect political history as much as footballing excellence.