How points work
Three orthogonal ways to score: match scorelines, knockout advancers, and outright futures. Each pays independently, so a casual pre-tournament punt can still keep you in the running, and a tipster who calls every Group A scoreline isn't bulletproof come the knockouts.
Match scorelines
Predict the on-pitch final score of every match (the scoreboard at the end of extra time, or 90' if there's no ET — no shootout goals count toward the score). Points come from one tier only, monotone top to bottom.
| Your prediction was… | Example | Base points |
|---|---|---|
| Exact score Both teams' goals matched | 2-1 → 2-1 | 6 |
| Correct goal difference Same margin, not a draw | 2-1 → 3-2 | 4 |
| Correct outcome only Right side won, or right that it was a draw | 2-1 → 4-0 · 1-1 → 0-0 | 2 |
| Wrong outcome Picked the wrong side, or picked a draw and someone won | 2-1 → 1-2 | 0 |
+1 bonus point when your outcome is right and you nailed one team's exact goal count (but not both — that's an exact). For example, predicting 2-1 for a 2-0 finish: you got the outcome and Argentina's 2 goals right → 2 + 1 = 3 pts.
Draws collapse to the 2-pt tier. Every 1-1 vs every 0-0 shares the same 0-goal difference, so we don't double-reward there. The only way to score more on a drawn match is to nail the exact draw scoreline.
Stage multipliers
Match-score points get multiplied by the stage. Group matches are ×1 baseline; the final is worth the most.
| Stage | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Group Matchdays 1–3 | ×1 |
| Round of 32 Top 2 + best thirds | ×1.5 |
| Round of 16 | ×1.5 |
| Quarter-finals | ×2 |
| Semi-finals | ×2 |
| Third-place playoff Same multiplier as semis | ×2 |
| Final Highest stakes | ×3 |
Knockout advancer picks
Knockout matches add a second prediction: who advances. This pays independently of your scoreline pick — so if you predicted 0-0 and the match went to penalties, you can still bank advancer points by calling the right side.
| Stage | Per correct advancer |
|---|---|
| Round of 32 16 matches | 1 |
| Round of 16 8 matches | 2 |
| Quarter-finals 4 matches | 3 |
| Semi-finals 2 matches | 4 |
| Third-place playoff 1 match | 3 |
| Final 1 match | 5 |
| Perfect bracket | |
Decisive scores auto-pick the advancer. If you predict 2-1 the winning side is locked in for you — saves a click.
Draw scores need an explicit advancer. A predicted draw means you're saying it goes to extra time / penalties, so we need you to tell us who walks out the winner.
Picks open as soon as the bracket resolves the two teams. Round of 32 unlocks after the group stage finishes, Round of 16 after the R32, and so on.
Outright futures
One-time pre-tournament picks. The big ones (champion, runner-up, third place) lock at the very first kickoff. Group-winner picks lock per-group at that group's first kickoff.
| Slot | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| Champion | 25 | |
| Runner-up Loses the final | 12 | |
| Third place Wins the third-place playoff | 8 | |
| Group winner × 12 groups, 36 pts max | 3 | |
| Podium sweep All three podium picks correct | +10 | |
| Futures ceiling | 91 | |
Worked examples
All scenarios assume a group-stage match (×1). Multiply by the stage multiplier for knockouts.
| Predicted | Actual | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 2-1 | 2-1 | 6 |
| 2-1 | 3-2 | 4 |
| 2-1 | 2-0 | 3 |
| 2-1 | 4-0 | 2 |
| 1-1 | 0-0 | 2 |
| 2-1 | 1-2 | 0 |
Tournament ceiling
If you somehow nail every single match scoreline, every advancer, and every future — the absolute upper bound is 901 points across the 104-match tournament.
- Match scores: 750 (83%)
- Advancers: 60 (7%)
- Futures: 91 (10%)
Leaderboard ties
Two players on the same total? The leaderboard breaks ties by who joined the tournament first — fewer opportunities means more impressive points-per-match.
When picks lock
- Match score & advancer: 5 minutes before kickoff. Last-minute team-news snipes blocked by design.
- Group winners: at each group's first kickoff. Lock per-group so you can keep picking other groups.
- Champion, runner-up & third place: at the tournament's very first kickoff.
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