Official rules — World Cup 2026 Bracket Pool
Official Rules
World Cup 2026 Bracket Pool
$100 entry fee Deadline: 48 hrs before kickoff Tournament: June 11 – July 19, 2026
Entry & deadline
Deadline: June 9, 2026 at kickoff time of the first match
All brackets, bonus picks, and entry fees must be submitted no later than 48 hours before the first match on June 11, 2026. No late entries or changes will be accepted under any circumstances once the deadline passes.
Entry fee is $100.00 per bracket. Payment must be received before your bracket is considered valid.
Each participant may submit one bracket. Multiple entries per person are not permitted.
Once the deadline passes, no edits, substitutions, or additions are allowed for any reason.
What you must pick
Group stage results — Pick the outcome (win/draw/loss) and exact final score for every group stage match.
Group winners — Pick the team you believe will finish 1st in each of the 12 groups.
Knockout bracket — Fill out the full bracket from Round of 32 through the Final, including the 3rd-place game. You will pick the exact score for every knockout match.
Third-placed teams — The 8 best 3rd-place teams from the 12 groups (ranked by points, then goal difference, then goals for) advance to the Round of 32. Their matchups follow FIFA's official Annex C bracket rules. Slots labeled like 3ABCDF mean the third-placed team from one of groups A, B, C, D, or F — exactly which one is determined by which 8 of 12 groups qualify a 3rd-placed team.
Tournament champion and runner-up — picked as part of your bracket.
Golden Boot Award — Name the player you believe will be the tournament's top scorer, and predict their exact goal total.
FIFA Young Player Award — Name the player (born on or after January 1, 2005) you believe will win the tournament's best young player award.
Group stage scoring
| Prediction | Points |
|---|---|
| Correct match outcome (win or draw) | +1 pt |
| Exact final scoreline | +3 pts |
| Correct group winner (per group × 12) | +2 pts |
Exact score points replace (not stack with) outcome points. A correct scoreline is worth the full exact-score value.
Knockout stage scoring
Correct outcome and exact score multipliers increase with each round.
Outcome vs. exact score eligibility. Outcome points are awarded whenever you pick the correct winner (or correctly call a draw) for a knockout match — the opponent does not need to match. Exact-score points only count if you also picked both teams in that match correctly. Wrong-opponent picks are ineligible for exact-score bonuses.
| Round | Outcome | Exact score |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 32 | +2 pts | +6 pts |
| Round of 16 | +4 pts | +12 pts |
| Quarterfinals | +8 pts | +24 pts |
| Semifinals | +16 pts | +48 pts |
| 3rd-place game | +16 pts | +48 pts |
| Final | +32 pts | +96 pts |
For knockout matches decided by penalty shootout, the score at end of extra time is used for exact-score purposes.
Bonus picks scoring
| Bonus prediction | Points |
|---|---|
| Correct tournament champion | +20 pts |
| Correct runner-up | +10 pts |
| Correct Golden Boot winner (player name) | +10 pts |
| Golden Boot exact goal total (requires correct player) | +10 pts |
Leaderboard point breakdown
Every rule above feeds into one of these leaderboard categories. Your Total Points is the sum of all categories below.
| Leaderboard category | Rule source | Max per match / pick |
|---|---|---|
| Group Match Outcome | Correct win / draw in group stage | +1 pt |
| Group Exact Score | Exact scoreline in group stage | +3 pts |
| Group Order Bonus | Correct 1st-4th order per group | +2 pts |
| Knockout Outcome — Round of 32 | Correct winner (2× multiplier) | +2 pts |
| Knockout Exact Score — Round of 32 | Exact scoreline (2× multiplier) | +6 pts |
| Knockout Outcome — Round of 16 | Correct winner (4× multiplier) | +4 pts |
| Knockout Exact Score — Round of 16 | Exact scoreline (4× multiplier) | +12 pts |
| Knockout Outcome — Quarterfinals | Correct winner (8× multiplier) | +8 pts |
| Knockout Exact Score — Quarterfinals | Exact scoreline (8× multiplier) | +24 pts |
| Knockout Outcome — Semifinals | Correct winner (16× multiplier) | +16 pts |
| Knockout Exact Score — Semifinals | Exact scoreline (16× multiplier) | +48 pts |
| Knockout Outcome — 3rd-place game | Correct winner (16× multiplier) | +16 pts |
| Knockout Exact Score — 3rd-place game | Exact scoreline (16× multiplier) | +48 pts |
| Knockout Outcome — Final | Correct winner (32× multiplier) | +32 pts |
| Knockout Exact Score — Final | Exact scoreline (32× multiplier) | +96 pts |
| Champion Bonus | Correct tournament champion | +20 pts |
| Runner-up Bonus | Correct runner-up | +10 pts |
| Golden Boot | Correct top scorer (player) | +10 pts |
| Young Player | Correct FIFA young player award winner | +10 pts |
All categories are summed into Total Points on the leaderboard. Standings update automatically as matches finish.
Prizes & payouts
🥇
1st place
60%
of pool
Most total points after the Final
🥈
2nd place
25%
of pool
Runner-up in the standings
🥉
3rd place
15%
of pool
Third in the standings
Pool total is based on confirmed paid entries. Payout percentages are fixed regardless of total pool size.
Tiebreaker
If two or more participants are tied on total points, the tiebreaker is the predicted exact scoreline of the Final. Closest total goal count (without going over) wins.
If still tied after the scoreline tiebreaker, the participant who submitted their bracket earliest wins.
General rules
Live scoring. Every rule on this page is wired directly into the leaderboard — points are awarded automatically and standings update as each match finishes.
The commissioner's interpretation of these rules is final in all disputes.
Scoring will be updated publicly after each round concludes. Standings are unofficial until all matches in a round are complete.
No refunds after the entry deadline. Entries are non-transferable.
This is a private pool for fun among friends. Participants must be 18 or older.