The player in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? cost £100,000 for one mistake.

According to The Sun: In the game 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire', contestant Mark Offenhauser was unable to answer a simple question about World Cup finals, costing him the chance to win over £100,000.

Offenhauser confidently advanced to victory, having answered 11 questions on the German version of the show. He had already used his free 'safety' option for €500, so his mistake could have serious consequences.

However, on question number 13 for €125,000 (£108,000), posed by host Günther Jauch, Offenhauser did not know the answer.

Jauch asked: 'What is the most common final score in World Cup finals? 1–0? 2–1? 3–1? Or 4–2?'

Offenhauser admitted that he is not a sports fan: 'I prefer spending time outdoors,' he said.

Trying to find the right answer, he decided to use the audience lifeline, something that is not practiced in the British version of the show hosted by Jeremy Clarkson. Only one audience member stood up to help Offenhauser, noting:

“I can't recall all the final scores of the World Cup, but I heard that statistically, most football matches end with a score of 2–1. So I guess the same applies for World Cup finals.”

Offenhauser chose option B but unfortunately got it wrong, ultimately leaving the show with only €500 (£435) – €64,500 less than if he had chosen not to answer.

Günther Jauch said: 'This is a tragedy. You had an incredible journey – it was unforgettable. And at the very last moment, everything went wrong. What a shame.'

World Cup Final Scores

• 1930: Uruguay 4–2 Argentina
• 1934: Italy 2–1 Czechoslovakia
• 1938: Italy 4–2 Hungary
• 1950: Uruguay 2–1 Brazil (group stage final)
• 1954: West Germany 3–2 Hungary
• 1958: Brazil 5–2 Sweden
• 1962: Brazil 3–1 Czechoslovakia
• 1966: England 4–2 West Germany (AET)
• 1970: Brazil 4–1 Italy
• 1974: West Germany 2–1 Netherlands
• 1978: Argentina 3–1 Netherlands
• 1982: Italy 3–1 West Germany
• 1986: Argentina 3–2 West Germany
• 1990: Germany 1–0 Argentina
• 1994: Brazil 0–0 Italy (Brazil won 3–2 on penalties)
• 1998: France 3–0 Brazil
• 2002: Brazil 2–0 Germany
• 2006: Italy 1–1 France (Italy won 5–3 on penalties)
• 2010: Spain 1–0 Netherlands (AET)
• 2014: Germany 1–0 Argentina (AET)
• 2018: France 4–2 Croatia
• 2022: Argentina 3–3 France (Argentina won 4–2 on penalties)

This situation illustrates how critical knowledge can be in a game where the stakes are extremely high. Offenhauser lost the opportunity to win a substantial amount, as a wrong answer dashed his hopes for victory. Perhaps in the future he can improve his sports knowledge to avoid making this mistake on future shows.