Talent Travels Far Trivia Quiz

Answer: Argentina

Lionel Andres Messi (1987), also known as Leo, was born in Rosario, Argentina, and showed football skills from an early age. When he was 11 years old he was diagnosed with a hormonal problem, which slowed down his bone development and, consequently, his growth. Without a sponsor for the expensive treatment in Argentina, his father decided to try his luck in Europe. In Spain, he was observed by Barcelona's scout, who signed him and paid for his treatment.

Messi played for Barcelona from 2000 to 2021, for Paris Saint-Germain from August 2021 to 2023, and for Inter Miami from June 2023. He was a member of the Argentina Under-20 and Under-23 teams. In 2005 Messi joined the national team, which won the FIFA World Cup in 2022. The awards he has received are countless.

Answer: France

Kylian Mbappe Lottin (1998) was born in France. His father, Wilfried Mbappe, originally from Cameroon, used to be a football player as well as a football coach. His mother, Fayza Lamari, of Algerian Kabyle origin, used to be a handball player during her youth. Mbappé began his career in 2015 with Monaco and in 2017 he went on to play for Paris Saint-Germain, a team with which he has already won numerous championships.

In 2014, Mbappe began to be part of the French U17, and U19 teams, and in 2017 he was called up to the France senior squad.

In 2018, Mbappé scored one of the goals in France's victory over Croatia in the FIFA World Cup final.

Answer: Belgium

Thibaut Nicolas Marc Courtois (1992) was born in Belgium. His parents were volleyball players, but at age 12 Courtois decided to focus on football. In 2009, at the age of 16, Courtois began his professional career playing for Racing Genk. In 2018, after joining the Chelsea and Atlético de Madrid teams, he became one of Real Madrid's stars. Courtois has defended the Belgian national team since 2011. Courtois has collected numerous titles, including Best Goalkeeper in the 2018 FIFA World and by IFFHS in 2018 and 2022.

Answer: Senegal

Sadio Mane (1992) was born in Senegal to Guinean parents. He wanted to have a career as a footballer but his father forbade him to play the sport when he was a small child. His father died when he was 7 years old and at 15 he went to Dakar to make his dream come true.

His professional career began in 2011. After playing for several teams, Mane was signed by Liverpool where he remained from 2016 to 2022, a period in which the club won numerous tournaments. In 2023, Mane decided to play for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

He has played for the Senegal national team at the 2012 Olympic, in the a number of editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, and at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Answer: South Korea

Son Heung-min (1992) was born in South Korea and represented the South Korean national team in the Asian Cup, World Cup, and Olympic selection. In 2008 he transferred to European football and since 2015 he has played for Tottenham Hotspur. In 2015 he signed a five-year contract with the British team, becoming the most expensive Asian player in history. According to Son, he will only get married after he retires from football, which should happen when he is 32 to 34 years old.

He follows his father's advice who understands that marriage and family should be a priority in a person's life and at the moment Son's priority is football.

Answer: Jamaica

Raheem Shaquille Sterling (1994) was born in Kingston, Jamaica to Jamaican parents and spent his early years there. His father died when he was 2 years old and his mother married Erol Sterling, from whom Raheem got his surname. He and his family moved to London, England at the age of five. He began his career at Queens Park Rangers before starting to play in Liverpool youth team in 2010.

He played for senior Liverpool from 2012 to 2015, for Manchester City from 2015 to 2022 and in July 2022 Sterling signed for Chelsea on a five-year contract. Sterling has been a member of the England U16, U17, U19, U21 and senior national team since 2012. Sterling has received numerous awards. He is one of the two players to be picked for World Cups in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

Answer: Egypt

Mohamed Salah Hamed Mahfouz Ghaly (1992), known as Mohamed Salah, is an Egyptian professional footballer, who is considered as one of the greatest African players of all time and one of the best players of his generation. Salah began his professional life in 2010 in Egyptian football and in 2012 he began his career in European football.

He has played for several clubs and since 2017 has played for Liverpool, where he has already received numerous accolades, individually or with the club he plays for.

At the international level, Salah represented Egypt in the Egyptian U20, and U23 teams and Egypt´s national team.

Answer: Brazil

Vinicius Jose Paixao de Oliveira Junior (2000), known as Vini Jr. or Vinícius Júnior is a Brazilian professional footballer who began his football career at an early age with the help of the Flamengo club. In 2017, at the age of 16, he began his senior career playing for Flamengo, a prestigious Brazilian team. In May 2017, Real Madrid signed a million-dollar contract with Flamengo to acquire Vinícius, effective after he turned 18, on July 12, 2018, in compliance with the minimum age for international transfers.

Since joining Real Madrid, he has had an exemplary career on and off the field. Knowing the difficulties of Brazilian children, he has supported many activities linked to education and sport. Also, he has a leading role in initiatives in the fight against racial discrimination in football.

Answer: Croatia

Luka Modric a Croatian (1985) footballer was born when Croatia was a republic within SFR Yugoslavia. His childhood was not peaceful, as it coincided with the Croatian War of Independence (1991-1995). He and his family experienced the horrible events in Zadar; while countless bombs fell on the city, football served to distract the children. At the age of 12, he auditioned at Hadjuk Split but was not accepted. His life changed completely at the age of 16 when he was signed by Dinamo Zagreb. From 2008 to 2012 he played for Tottenham Hotspur and from 2012 he joined the Real Madrid team. At this club he became a star, winning numerous championships, as well as winning many individual awards.

In 2001, he began his international career as a member of the youth Croatian team. In 2006 he joined the Croatian senior team and helped his team reach the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup and finish third in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Answer: England

Erling Braut Haaland (2000) is a football player who was born in England but has Norwegian nationality. He was born in England when his father was playing for Leeds United. At the age of three, his family moved to his hometown in Norway. As a child, he played several sports including standing long jump and football. He began his senior career in Norway in 2015 and later joined the teams of Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund.

In 2022 he signed a contract with Manchester City. In his debut season in the Premier League, he scored 36 goals, surpassing the record for the most goals scored by a player in a single season. Haaland has represented Norway at various youth levels and at senior level.