World Cup 2026 prediction pool rules
Everything you need to know about scoring, prediction deadlines, and how the leaderboard works
What is a prediction pool?
It's a prediction game between friends. Before each match, every participant writes down the score they think the match will end with — for example, Argentina 2 - Mexico 1. If they get it right, they earn points. At the end of the tournament, whoever has the most points wins.
Depending on where you're from, you might know it by a different name: quiniela in Mexico and Central America, polla in Colombia and Chile, prode in Argentina, penca in Uruguay, porra in Spain, bolao in Brazil. The concept is the same everywhere: prove you know more about football than everyone else.
How points are calculated
Exact score
The jackpot. You predicted 2-1 and it ended 2-1. This is the hardest to get and awards the most points. In the basic system, that's 3 points.
Correct winner
You didn't nail the scoreline, but you got the winner right (or that it would be a draw). You said Mexico 1-0 and it ended Mexico 3-2: not exact, but you knew Mexico would win. In the basic system, 1 point.
Goal difference
Only in Cumulative and Advanced modes. If you got the goal difference between the teams right — even if the scoreline was different — you earn a bonus. You predicted 3-1 (difference of 2) and it ended 2-0 (difference of 2): not exact, but your read of the match was on point.
Complete miss
You said Team A would win and Team B won. You predicted a draw and it was a blowout. 0 points. Happens to everyone all the time — that's part of the fun.
Phase multipliers
In Advanced mode, points are worth more as the tournament progresses. The logic is simple: predicting a group stage result when there are still 48 teams and plenty of information available isn't the same as predicting a semi-final where anything can happen.
If you nail an exact score in the final (3 base points x3 multiplier), that's 9 points from a single match. A hit like that can flip the entire table. That's why the late rounds in Advanced mode are pure adrenaline.
Prediction deadlines
Each match has a deadline for submitting your prediction. By default, it locks 10 minutes before kickoff. The organizer can change this: 30 minutes, 1 hour, even 1 day before.
While predictions are open, you can change yours as many times as you want. Nobody sees what others predicted until the deadline passes. No cheating possible.
If you don't submit a prediction before the deadline, you simply don't earn points for that match. No penalty, but no second chances either.
Where do results come from?
Results update automatically from the official football data API. There's no person behind the scenes updating scores by hand. When the referee blows the final whistle, points calculate themselves.
The group creator can't invent or freely modify results. If there's an API error (something that very rarely happens), the organizer can request a correction. But they have to write a justification, and every participant receives a notification explaining the change. Everything is on the record.
The leaderboard
Points accumulate throughout the entire tournament. After each match, the leaderboard updates automatically. You can see who's leading, how many points each participant has, and how many exact scores they've hit.
In case of a tie between two or more participants, these criteria apply in order: most exact scores, most correct winners, and the order they joined the group (whoever joined first wins the tiebreaker).
Now you know the rules. 48 teams, 104 matches, and your football reputation on the line. All that's left is creating your group.