Every four years, when the World Cup arrives, something magical happens in offices, WhatsApp groups, and family gatherings across Latin America and Spain: someone suggests starting a pool. Depending on which country you're in, they might call it a polla, prode, penca, or porra. The name changes, but the essence stays the same: predict football match results and compete against friends for bragging rights.
It's one of the most deeply rooted social traditions in the world of football. You don't need deep tactical knowledge or an understanding of formations — you just need the courage to say "2-1" and wait for 90 minutes. It's pure entertainment, and for decades it was played on paper, office whiteboards, and endless spreadsheets.
The origins: from collective betting to friendly competition
The history of organized sports predictions dates back to the 19th century in Europe. In Spain, porras — informal pools where each participant contributed a small amount and bet on a result — were already a tradition in taverns and supporters' clubs before football was even professionalized. The word "porra" comes precisely from the custom of "throwing into the pot" and splitting the winnings among those who guessed correctly.
The term quiniela has its roots in the Latin quinella (a combination of five elements) and first became popular in the context of lotteries. In 1946, Spain officially launched La Quiniela, a state-run game where participants predicted the outcomes of 15 football matches by marking 1 (home win), X (draw), or 2 (away win). It was an immediate success and became a weekly ritual for millions of Spaniards.
That model crossed the Atlantic and adapted in remarkably diverse ways in each Latin American country, acquiring unique names and cultural nuances.
One game, many names: the map of football pools in Latin America
What's fascinating about this tradition is how each country made it their own. They didn't just change the name — in many cases they created official institutions around the concept.
🇦🇷 Argentina's Prode: when the government made it official
In 1972, the Argentine government created PRODE (Pronósticos Deportivos — Sports Predictions), an official system where citizens bought cards and predicted results from the local league. It became a massive social phenomenon: on Mondays, the conversation in any Buenos Aires office started with "how did you do in the prode?" Although the official PRODE was eventually discontinued, the word became permanently etched in the Argentine vocabulary. Today, when a group of friends in Argentina organizes predictions for the World Cup, they still call it prode.
🇨🇴🇨🇱 The polla: from charity to World Cup fever
In Colombia, Chile, and Venezuela, the dominant term is polla. Its origin lies in the Polla Chilena de Beneficencia (Chilean Charity Pool), created in 1934 as a collective betting system whose profits went to social causes. The word was exported throughout the region and today is synonymous with sports pool. In Colombia, the expression "polla mundialista" (World Cup pool) activates every four years like clockwork: from the largest corporation to the neighborhood friend group, everyone sets up their polla.
🇺🇾 Uruguay's penca: Río de la Plata tradition
In Uruguay, nobody says quiniela or polla — they say penca. The tradition of pencas is deeply tied to the football culture of the country that hosted the first World Cup in 1930. Uruguayans set up pencas for everything: the Uruguayan Championship, Copa América, the World Cup, and even the World Cup Qualifiers. It's a social ritual that transcends generations.
🇪🇸 Spain's porra: from the bar to the office
While in Spain La Quiniela is the official state-run game, among friends the word porra is more common. "Echar una porra" (setting up a porra) means organizing informal predictions, usually at work or at the local bar's supporters' club. During La Liga, the Champions League, and every World Cup, porras multiply everywhere. It's a tradition as old as Spanish football itself.
🇧🇴🇵🇪 Vaquita and chancha: the most creative names
In Bolivia, it's known as vaquita — "poner la vaquita" (put in the little cow) means contributing to the common pot, an expression born from informal collections. In Peru, besides "polla," they use chancha, which also refers to pooling money among a group. And in Mexico and Ecuador, the term quiniela reigns supreme, with an especially strong culture during World Cups and the Liga MX season.