How to play
Fantasy Fútbol is a bracket pool for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Pick every match winner from the group stage through the Final, predict the champion, and score points for every correct call. The highest score after the Final wins.
Your bracket
Group stage (12 groups × 4 teams)
For each group, pick which team finishes 1st and which finishes 2nd. These picks seed the Round of 32.
Best third-place teams
Eight of the twelve group 3rd-place finishers advance to the Round of 32. Pick which eight you think those are from the 3rd-place panel — order doesn't matter.
Knockout rounds
Pick the winner of every match from the Round of 32 through the Final (32 → 16 → 8 → 4 → 2 → champion), plus the 3rd-Place Match winner.
Final score prediction
Predict the regulation-time score of the Final. This is your tiebreaker — see below for how it's used.
Scoring
You earn points for every team you pick to advance, with higher stakes in later rounds. A matchup bonus is added whenever you also picked the correct opponent — meaning both teams in that match are in your bracket.
| Round | Points | Matchup bonus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group stage advancement Per team you pick to advance from the group | +5 pts | — | |
| 3rd-place team advances Per correctly-picked 3rd-place qualifier | +5 pts | — | |
| Round of 32 winner Matchup bonus if both teams in the match are correct | +8 pts | +2 matchup | |
| Round of 16 winner | +15 pts | +5 matchup | |
| Quarterfinal winner | +25 pts | +10 matchup | |
| 3rd Place Match winner | +30 pts | +10 matchup | |
| Semifinal winner | +50 pts | +15 matchup | |
| Tournament Champion Plus Final matchup bonus if both finalists are correct | +50 pts | +25 matchup |
Tiebreaker
Closest total goals wins
If two or more players finish with the same score, the tiebreaker is your regulation-time Final score prediction. The player whose predicted total goals (home + away) is closest to the actual total wins. If still tied, the earlier submission wins.
Regulation time only
The tiebreaker uses the score at the end of 90 minutes (plus stoppage time). Extra time and penalty shootouts are not counted.
Bracket lock
Submit early — come back for knockout rounds
You can submit as soon as your group stage picks and 3rd-place pool are complete. Knockout round picks unlock progressively — return to fill them in before each round's deadline below.
| Round | Lock date & time (ET) |
|---|---|
| Group stage + 3rd-place pool | June 11, 2026 · 3:00 PM ET |
| Round of 32 | June 23, 2026 · 3:00 PM ET |
| Round of 16 | June 28, 2026 · 2:00 PM ET |
| Quarterfinals | July 9, 2026 · 2:00 PM ET |
| Semifinals + Final + 3rd Place Match | July 14, 2026 · 2:00 PM ET |
Auto-fill for blank slots
If a round locks while you still have empty slots, the bracket automatically fills them with a random pick from your predicted field. Your score is never penalised for late or missing picks — you just lose the chance to choose.
Edit anytime before each deadline
You can update your picks as many times as you like before each round's deadline. Each save overwrites your previous submission — only your latest picks count.
Leaderboard
Live updates after each match
The leaderboard recalculates automatically after every confirmed result. Check back throughout the tournament to see how you stack up.
Find your bracket
Use the Access My Bracket page to look up your submission at any time using the email address you registered with.