How to Play
World Cup 2026 Pool — Complete Guide
HOW IT WORKS
Create or Join a Pool
The pool creator signs in with Google and sets it up — pool name, entry fee, and payment instructions. Members join with a 6-character code. No sign-in required for members (just type your name).
Make Your Group Stage Picks
Before the tournament locks, rank all 4 teams in each of the 12 groups (Groups A–L). Drag and drop to set 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for every group. You must complete all 12 groups.
Predict the Knockout Bracket
After your group picks, go to the Knockout tab. Pick the winner of every match from Round of 32 all the way to the Final — including the 3rd Place match. Your bracket is built from your group stage picks.
Watch and Score
The leaderboard updates automatically as matches finish. More points for correct picks in later rounds. The player with the most points at the end of the Final wins.
POINTS SYSTEM
THE 8 BEST THIRD-PLACE TEAMS
FIFA World Cup 2026 has 48 teams across 12 groups. The top 2 from each group automatically advance to the Round of 32 — that's 24 teams.
The remaining 8 spots go to the best third-place finishers across all 12 groups, ranked by points, goal difference, and goals scored.
When you pick your 3rd-place team per group, you earn points if they finish 3rd in their group — regardless of whether they end up being one of the 8 that advance. Extra credit if they advance!
TIPS
Lock all 12 groups before the deadline — locked picks cannot be changed.
Knockout bracket picks auto-populate teams from your group picks. Fill group picks first.
Higher rounds = more points. A correct Final pick (30 pts) is worth 6 correct Round of 32 picks.
The pool entry fee is handled directly between members — see the pool's payment instructions.