Question 1

True or false: Van Basten's famous volley in Euro 1988 was from a near-impossible angle off his weaker foot.

Accepted Answer

True. He volleyed the ball from the right wing with his right foot, his weaker side, at an acute angle into the far corner.

Question 2

True or false: He coached the Netherlands national team to a World Cup final in 2010.

Accepted Answer

False. He left the job after Euro 2008; Bert van Marwijk took them to the 2010 final.

Question 3

True or false: Marco van Basten scored a hat-trick on his debut for Ajax's first team.

Accepted Answer

False. He actually scored on his debut but not a hat-trick; that came later in his career for Ajax.

Question 4

True or false: Van Basten won the Ballon d'Or three times, all while playing for AC Milan.

Accepted Answer

True. He won it in 1988, 1989, and 1992—all during his Milan tenure, a rare feat.

Question 5

True or false: He was the top scorer in the Eredivisie for four consecutive seasons.

Accepted Answer

False. He was top scorer three times (1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86), not four in a row.

Question 6

True or false: Van Basten never played a World Cup match due to injuries and early retirement.

Accepted Answer

True. He missed the 1990 World Cup injured and retired before the 1994 tournament, so zero World Cup appearances.

Question 7

True or false: Van Basten once scored four goals in a single Champions League match for Milan.

Accepted Answer

True. He netted four against IFK Göteborg in the 1992–93 Champions League group stage.

Question 8

True or false: He retired at age 28 due to a chronic ankle injury that required over 20 surgeries.

Accepted Answer

False. He retired at 28 due to ankle problems, but it was fewer than 10 surgeries total.

Marco van Basten Trivia Questions