Football Teams Around the World Quiz

Answer: Sweden

Örgryte IS, aka Sällskapet ('the Society') are based in Gothenburg, and played in Sweden's first football match, which they won 1-0, against the now defunct IS Lyckans Soldater in 1892. Örgryte also have bowling, athletics and wrestling teams. They play in red, and their local rivals are IFK Göteborg.

Västra Frölunda are also from Gothenburg, and play in a green-and-white striped kit.

Kalmar FF are based in the town of Kalmar, near the Baltic Sea, and are nicknamed the Röda Bröder ('Red Brothers'), due to their red kit, and Smĺlands Stolthet ('The Pride of Smĺland'). Their main rivals are Östers IF, based in Växjö. They won their first league title in 2008.

Djurgĺrdens were founded on the island of Djurgĺrden, but their ground, the Tele2 Arena, is based in Stockholm. Many of their early players were dockers, due to Djurgĺrden's shipbuilding industry. They play in blue and black and their nicknames are Järnkaminerna ('the Iron Stoves') and Blĺränderna ('the Blue Stripes'). One of Sweden's most successful teams, they have won multiple titles and cups.

Answer: The Netherlands

RKC Waalwijk play in blue and yellow, and their full name is 'Rooms Katholieke Combinatie' ('Roman Catholic Combination'). They were formed when three clubs, HEC, WVB and Hercules, merged together in 1940.

RBC were formerly known as RBC Roosendaal (and Excelsior before that), and play in orange, the Dutch national colour. They went bankrupt in 2011 and were forced to begin again in the ninth tier, returning to their old ground in 2013. A merger with RKSV Halsteren was planned, but did not go ahead.

NAC Breda are the result of two clubs, NOAD and ADVENDO, merging: both of these clubs were named after Dutch acronyms, 'Nooit Opgeven, Altijd Doorzetten' ('never give up, always persevere') and 'Aangenaam Door Vermaak En Nuttig Door Ontspanning' ('pleasant for its entertainment and useful for its relaxation') respectively. 'NAC' means 'NOAD ADVENDO Combination'. Their colours are yellow and black, and they added Breda to their name after the city of Breda bought their stadium. (Incidentally, their first ever manager was named Ben Affleck - no, not that one.)

The NEC in NEC Nijmegen stands for 'Nijmegen Eendracht Combinatie' ('Nijmegen Eendracht Combination'). Their colours are black, red and green. They were created when two clubs, NVV Nijmegen and Eendracht, merged in 1910. They reached four cup finals, but did not win any of them.

Answer: Belarus

Neman Grodno are named after the Grodno River and play in green and yellow. They were formed in 1964. They briefly changed their name to Khimik Grodno in 1973, and then Neman-Belcard Grodno in 1999, though neither of these changes lasted.

Torpedo Mogilev were originally formed as Kirovets Mogilev, and play in yellow and blue. They briefly changed their name to Torpedo-Kadino Mogilev in 1996. The team were disbanded in 2005, but reformed in 2014.Various notable Belarusian players started out there, such as Sergei Gorlukovich - who played for the winning Soviet Union team at the 1988 Olympics - Vyacheslav Gerashchenko and Andrey Skorobogatko.

FC Gomel (aka FK Homiel) play in white, and were founded as Lokomotiv Gomel in 1959, going through multiple name changes before settling on Gomel in 1995. They were the first city team to play in the Soviet League, and won the Belarusian Premier League in 2003. They played Liverpool in 2012 in the Europa League qualifiers, but lost 4-0 on aggregate.

Slavia Mozyr play in red and black. They were founded as Polesye Mozyr in 1987 and, like FC Gomel above, changed their name several times before settling on FC Slavia Mozyr in 2008. They won the Belarusian Premier League in 1996 and 2000.

Answer: Czech Republic

FC Chmel Blsany played in yellow and blue, and had a brief career in the Czech First League from 1998 to 2006; sadly, they came to a miserable end in 2016 when they were dissolved for financial reasons after resigning from the Czech fifth tier. They were originally known as Sokol Blsany. Former Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech started his professional career there before moving to Sparta Prague.

FK Jablonec play in white and green and were originally known as CS (Česky Sportovní) Jablonec nad Nisou, before eventually settling on Fotbalovy Klub Jablonec in 2015. They qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time in 1998 after finishing third in the Czech First League the previous season

Hradec Králové play in white and won the Czech First League title in 1960; they reached the quarter finals of the European Cup the following season before being knocked out by Barcelona. In 1995, they won the Czech Cup, but were knocked out of the Cup Winners' Cup by Dynamo Moscow.

Banik Ostrava, originally SK Sleszká Ostrava, play in blue and white, were founded in 1922 and many of their players were miners. They had to borrow playing fields from richer teams due to a lack of money. In 1937, they were promoted to the Czech First League and were one of the few notable Czech teams from outside Prague and enjoyed a spell of success in the '70s and early '80s known as the Golden Era. The late Pavel Srníček, former goalkeeper with Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle United, started his career there, as did former Liverpool striker Milan Baros.

Answer: Nigeria

Enyimba, who play in blue, are based in the city of Aba, and their name is Yoruba for 'people's elephant', which is also the nickname of Aba. They are one of Nigeria's most successful football teams, winning the African Champions' League in 2003 and 2004, and their first league title in 2001. Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who racked up 101 caps for Nigeria and scored a mean penalty, played there from 2001 to 2004.

Rivers United also, fittingly, play in blue and were formed when Dolphins FC and Sharks FC merged in 2016; their club badge features a shark and a dolphin. Sharks had been relegated in 2015 and Dolphins narrowly escaped relegation. They are based in Port Harcourt. They won their first Nigerian Professional League title in 2022.

Shooting Stars are based in Ibadan and play in blue and white. They were originally known as WNDC Ibadan, but changed their name to IICC Shooting Stars of Ibadan, before dropping the IICC; the 'shooting stars' is a reference to the squad themselves, the founding members believing that the players were stars in their own right. Their nicknames are Oluyole Warriors and 3SC. Rashidi Yekini, Nigeria's all-time top scorer with 37 goals, started his career there.

Bridge FC were originally known as Julius Berger, named after the construction company of the same name. Like the other clubs in this question, they play in blue, are based in Lagos, and their nickname is the 'Shalom Boyz'. They were nearly closed down in 2008, but their owners managed to find the funds to keep them going. They temporarily dropped out of football in 2012, but made a comeback in 2013 when they joined the Metro Pro League.

Answer: France

Troyes (or Espérance Sportive Troyes Aube Champagne, to give them their full name) are a relatively young team, formed in 1986, and play in blue. The city of Troyes had had two other clubs, ASTS (Association Sportive Troyenne et Savinienne) and Troyes Aube Football, both of whom disbanded. They were promoted to Ligue 1 in 2000 and changed their name from ATAC to ESTAC because of copyright claims from a supermarket. They won the Intertoto Cup in 2001, beating Newcastle United on away goals despite drawing 4-4.

Sedan play in green and black and their nickname is 'Les Sangliers' ('the wild boars'), as their club badge's symbol is a wild boar. They had a fairly successful period in the '50s and '60s, but were relegated to the French third tier in 2013 due to bankruptcy. Their rivals are Stade Reims.

Montpellier Hérault Sport Club, or Montpellier for short, play in blue and red, and their nickname is 'La Paillade' after the neighbourhood of the same name. Originally known as Stade Olympique Montpelliérain, they were founded in 1919 and merged with four other clubs in 1974. Notable players include French internationals Laurent Blanc, Olivier Giroud and Eric Cantona, Colombia's Carlos Valderrama, and Cameroon's Roger Milla, whose goalscoring got Montpellier promoted in 1987.

En Avant Guingamp are a Breton team who play in red and black, and started out as an amateur team before turning professional and making their way up the leagues under president Noël le Graët. They were the first non-Ligue 1 team to win the Coupe de France, in 2009, and they also won the Intertoto Cup in 1996. Notable former players include Ivory Coast and Chelsea legend Didier Drogba (whose son Isaac also joined the team), and France's Anthony Knockaert and Florent Malouda, while notable former women's team players include French internationals Griedge Mbock Bathy and Eugénie Le Sommer.

Answer: Turkey

Erzurumspor, from the Asian side of Turkey, are a relatively young club, were founded in 2005 as Erzurum Büyüsehir Belediyespor. Their colours are blue and white. They started off as an amateur team before climbing up the leagues, and were promoted to the Turkish Süper Lig in 2018.

Göztepe SK are based in Izmir, in the Asian side of Turkey, and they play in red and yellow. Their nickname is 'Göz Göz'. They were formerly part of Altay before breaking away, and also have volleyball, basketball and athletics divisions, among others. They won two consecutive Süper Lig titles in 1969 and 1970, also winning the Turkish Cup in both seasons, and made the quarter finals of the 1970 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, where they were knocked out by Roma. Their rivals are Karsiyaka.

Gençlerbirligi are based in the Turkish capital of Ankara and play in red and black. Their nicknames are 'Gençler' ('the youth'), 'Ankara Rüzgari' ('the wind of Ankara') and 'Alkaralar' ('the red and black'); the colours are thought to have either been inspired by poppies, or because when the players went to a local haberdashery, they could only buy kit material in black and red. They were founded by a group of high school students in 1923, one of whom was the son of an MP. Their rivals are Ankaragücü. They won the Turkish Cup in 1987 and 2001, and played in the 1987 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, but were knocked out by Dinamo Minsk in the first round.

Adanaspor play in orange and white and come from the city of Adana in Asian Turkey. Their nicknames are 'Turuncu' ('the Orange') and 'Toros Kaplanlari' ('the Taurus tigers', a reference to the Taurus Mountains). They share their stadium with local rivals Adana Demirspor. Something of a yo-yo club, they were promoted to the Süper Lig in 1971, relegated in 1984, and spent several years after between leagues before being declared bankrupt in 2005 and subsequently being relegated to the Turkish fourth tier. Although they entered the Europa League three times, they were always knocked out in the first round (by Salzburg in 1977, Budapest Honvéd in 1979, and Inter Milan in 1982).

Answer: Germany

SVV Ulm 1846, a Baden-Württemberg team, play in white and black and are nicknamed 'die Spetzen' ('the sparrows'). They were created when SSV Ulm merged with TSG 1846 in 1970. They were promoted to the Bundesliga in 1999 but only managed one season there, and the club was declared insolvent in 2011 and relegated to the fifth tier, following three players being released for their involvement in the 2009 European football betting scandal. They have a significant far right element in their fanbase; a group of SVV Ulm 1846 hooligans attacked a Roma family in 2019.

Spielvereinigung Unterhaching, Unterhaching for short, play in red and are based in Bavaria, near Munich; they briefly played alongside Munich's bigger teams, Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich, in the Bundesliga between 1999 and 2001. They slipped further down the tiers, ending up in the fourth tier in 2015. Of note, former Southampton manager Ralf Hasenhüttl managed them in the 2008-2009 season, but was sacked following a series of poor performances the following season. The club also has an award-winning bobsleigh department.

Schalke 04 are known for their large and passionate fanbase, and are based in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia (the birthplace of Germany and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer). They play in blue, and won several titles in the '30s and '40s. They also won the UEFA Cup in 1997, and the Intertoto Cup in 2003 and 2004. Schalke fans are affiliated with fans of the Netherlands' FC Twente, fellow Germans FC Nürnberg and Scotland's Heart of Midlothian. Their rivals are Borussia Dortmund.

Hansa Rostock are based in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, play in blue and white, and are nicknamed 'Kogge' ('cog') because of the shape of their logo. Although they enjoyed a successful spell in the Bundesliga following the unification of Germany, they were relegated to the 3. Liga in 2012, although they were promoted nine years later. Former Finland captain Jari Litmanen, also of Liverpool and Barcelona, briefly played there in 2005.

Answer: Japan

Kashima Antlers get their name from their home city; Kashima means 'deer island' (the local shrine even keeps deer!) They play in red and black, and are one of Japan's most successful football teams; along with Yokohama F Marinos, they are one of the very few teams to have always played in Japan's top league. Brazilian legend Zico became the club's technical director in 2018.

Nagoya Grampus, formerly known as Nagoya Grampus 8 until 2008, were founded as Toyota Motor Corporation's football team. They were managed by Arsčne Wenger from 1995 to 1996, and Gary Lineker played there from 1992 to 1994. They get their name from the grampus dolphins on top of Nagoya Castle, and play in red.

Urawa Red Diamonds were originally founded as Mitsubishi Motors FC in Kobe ('Red Diamonds' is a reference to Mitsubishi's logo), and moved to Tokyo in 1958. Their colours are red and black and they were one of the founding members of the Japan Soccer League. In 1978, they were the first team to win the Japanese domestic treble of the Emperor's Cup, Japan Soccer League Cup and league title.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima play in purple, which gives them their nickname of 'Viola', and their name is a portmanteau of 'san', the Japanese word for 'three', and 'frecce', the Italian word for 'arrows'. The name comes from a legend about a feudal lord with three sons, who told them that while one arrow could snap, three arrows were harder to break. They have played in multiple Emperor's Cup finals and won several titles, their first being in 1965.

Answer: Argentina

Club Atlético Lanús play in dark red and are nicknamed 'Granate' ('Garnet'). They are based in Buenos Aires, in the Lanús district; their home city was named after the French entrepreneur Anacarsis Lanús. They won the Supercopa Argentina in 2016, the Copa CONMEBOL in 1996, and the Copa Sudamericana in 2013. Lanús also have divisions for various other sports, such as volleyball, gymnastics and hockey.

Belgrano, aka 'El Pirata', 'La B' and 'El Celeste' ('the sky blue'), are based in Córdoba. Their rivals are Talleres and the local derby is known as the 'Clásico Cordobés'. They are named after Manuel Belgrano, one of the founding fathers of Argentina, and their club badge and kit share the colours of the Argentinian flag.

Club Atlético Colón de Santa Fe, or Colón for short, play in red and black and are named after Cristobal Colón, aka Christopher Columbus. They were founded by a group of friends in 1905. Their nicknames are 'Sabalero' ('the tarpon fisherman'), 'Sabalé' ('tarpon'), 'Raza' ('race') and 'Negro' ('black), and their ground, Estadio BG Estanisiao López, is nicknamed the 'Elephants' Graveyard'. Of note, they beat Brazilian side Santos in 1964 when Pelé was playing there.

Newell's Old Boys also play in red and black and have the rather depressing nickname of 'La Lepra' ('the lepers'). They are named after Isaac Newell, an English teacher and founder of the club, who helped popularise football in Argentina; the club colours are the colours of the college he founded. They won their first title in 1974. Several legendary Argentinian players have played there, including Victor Ramos, Mauricio Pochettino, Gabriel Batistuta and one Lionel Messi. In 2009, their stadium was renamed after former player and manager Marcelo Bielsa.