MEXICO USA CANADA
FIFA WORLD CUP 2026

FRIENDS POOL PICK 3
WIN $900 $100 buy-in · 16 spots only · $1,600 prize pool

Three teams. Twelve groups. One unforgettable summer of soccer, smack talk, and cash on the line.

ONLY -- SEATS LEFT
$100
Buy-In
16
Players
$1,600
Prize Pool
T-MINUS

KICKOFF

The biggest tournament on Earth starts in

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DAYS
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HOURS
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MINUTES
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SECONDS
JUNE 11, 2026 · 3:00 PM ET
MEXICO VS SOUTH AFRICA
Estadio Azteca · Mexico City · The Opening Match
THE FORMAT

HOW IT WORKS

Simple. Fair. Built for the whole group. Every player walks away with a heavyweight, a wild card, and a long-shot.

1

Pay In

$100 buy-in via Venmo, Cash App, or Zelle. First 16 paid are locked in for the season.

2

Random Draw

We will do a random draw to assign each player one team from each tier. Once the draw is complete, your 3-team roster is locked in for the tournament.

3

Earn Points

Win = 3 · Draw = 1 · Clean sheet = +1 bonus. Same scoring through the whole tournament.

4

Cash Out

Top 3 totals after the July 19 final split $1,600. Bragging rights for the next 4 years.

$1,600 ON THE LINE

THE PAYOUTS

$1,600 prize pool split across the top three finishers. Tiebreakers: most wins, then goal differential, then a coin flip.

2
SECOND
$500
Runner-up share
1
CHAMPION
$900
The Champion's purse · The Crown
3
THIRD
$200
Podium finish
MARK YOUR CALENDAR

KEY DATES

From sign-up to final whistle. Don't sleep on May 13 — once the cap fills, it's done.

MAY13
Sign-Ups Open 🚀

First-come, first-served. Pay your $100 to be locked in. Sign-ups close the moment the 16th payment lands.

DRAW
Random Draw

We will do a random draw to assign each player one team from each tier. Once rosters are finalized, they will be posted on the site. See all rosters →

JUN11
World Cup Kickoff ⚽

Mexico vs South Africa at Estadio Azteca. Scores get entered after every match — leaderboard updates same day.

JUL19
The Final · Cash Out 🏆

Top 3 totals get paid out within 24 hours of the final whistle. Champion holds the crown for the next 4 years.

LIVE STANDINGS

THE LEADERBOARD

Updated after every match. Watch teams climb (or crash). Real rankings populate after the random draw.

CURRENT STANDINGS

UPDATES AFTER EACH MATCH
RANK PLAYER TOP 16 MID 16 BOTTOM 16 TOTAL
Loading live standings…
Live · pulled from the connected pool sheet · auto-refreshes every 60 seconds · connecting…
View Live Leaderboard → View Draft Rosters →
THE FIELD

ALL 48 TEAMS · 12 GROUPS

Final World Cup field. These are the teams split across 3 tiers for the random draw.

GROUP A
Mexico
South Africa
Korea Republic
Czechia
GROUP B
Canada
Bosnia & Herz.
Qatar
Switzerland
GROUP C
Brazil
Morocco
Scotland
Haiti
GROUP D
USA
Paraguay
Australia
Türkiye
GROUP E
Germany
Curaçao
Côte d'Ivoire
Ecuador
GROUP F
Netherlands
Japan
Sweden
Tunisia
GROUP G
Belgium
Iran
Egypt
New Zealand
GROUP H
Spain
Uruguay
Saudi Arabia
Cabo Verde
GROUP I
France
Senegal
Norway
Iraq
GROUP J
Argentina
Austria
Algeria
Jordan
GROUP K
Portugal
Colombia
Uzbekistan
Congo DR
GROUP L
England
Croatia
Ghana
Panama
TIER BREAKDOWN

THE 3 DRAFT POOLS

All 48 qualified teams are divided into three tiers by approximate FIFA ranking strength. Each player will be assigned one team from each tier through a random draw — giving everyone a heavyweight, a wild card, and a long-shot.

1
TIER 1
TOP 16
Heavyweights · Title contenders
  1. 1France
  2. 2Spain
  3. 3Argentina
  4. 4England
  5. 5Portugal
  6. 6Brazil
  7. 7Netherlands
  8. 8Morocco
  9. 9Belgium
  10. 10Germany
  11. 11Croatia
  12. 12Colombia
  13. 13Senegal
  14. 14Mexico
  15. 15USA
  16. 16Uruguay
2
TIER 2
MID 16
Wild cards · Dark horses
  1. 1Japan
  2. 2Switzerland
  3. 3Iran
  4. 4Türkiye
  5. 5Ecuador
  6. 6Austria
  7. 7Korea Republic
  8. 8Australia
  9. 9Algeria
  10. 10Egypt
  11. 11Canada
  12. 12Norway
  13. 13Panama
  14. 14Côte d'Ivoire
  15. 15Sweden
  16. 16Paraguay
3
TIER 3
BOTTOM 16
Long-shots · Cinderella stories
  1. 1Czechia
  2. 2Scotland
  3. 3Tunisia
  4. 4Congo DR
  5. 5Uzbekistan
  6. 6Qatar
  7. 7Iraq
  8. 8South Africa
  9. 9Saudi Arabia
  10. 10Jordan
  11. 11Bosnia and Herzegovina
  12. 12Cabo Verde
  13. 13Ghana
  14. 14Curaçao
  15. 15Haiti
  16. 16New Zealand
Tiers based on approximate FIFA ranking strength. Each player drafts one team from each tier, so the field is fair from the start. Whether the world's #1 squad is in the Top 16 or a Cinderella run from the Bottom 16, every roster has a fighting chance.
QUICK ANSWERS

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Simple rules for a friendly World Cup pool. The organizer can edit the details for their own group.

How does this pool work?

Each player pays a $100 buy-in and receives 3 World Cup teams: one team from each tier. Your teams earn points throughout the tournament, and your total score is the combined score from all 3 teams.

Can I choose my teams?

No. Teams are assigned by a random draw so everyone has a fair shot. Once the draw is complete, your 3-team roster is locked in for the tournament.

How much does it cost to play?

The buy-in is $100 per player. Your spot is not locked in until payment is confirmed by the organizer.

How many people can join?

This template is built for 16 total players. The first 16 paid players are locked in. If the pool fills up, the organizer may start a waitlist.

What are the payouts?

With 16 players at $100 each, the total prize pool is $1,600. Suggested payouts are 1st place: $900, 2nd place: $500, and 3rd place: $200. If your group changes the number of players, update the payouts before starting.

How are points calculated?

Win = 3 points, Draw = 1 point, Loss = 0 points, and Clean sheet = +1 bonus point. Your score is the total points earned by all 3 of your teams.

Where can I see the standings?

The organizer can update the live leaderboard or share a simple spreadsheet with everyone. Standings should be updated after games so players can follow the pool easily.

What happens if two players tie?

Use a simple tiebreaker before the pool starts. Recommended order: most total wins, then best goal difference, then a final organizer-approved tiebreaker such as a coin flip.

Is this an official World Cup or FIFA website?

No. This is a private, friendly pool template for groups of friends, family, or coworkers. It is not affiliated with FIFA, the FIFA World Cup, or any official sports organization.

PICK YOUR ENTRY

ONE SIMPLE BUY-IN

Keep it easy: one player, one $100 entry, three random teams, one leaderboard.

STANDARD ENTRY
$100
PLAYER ENTRY
Your own 3-team roster
  • One player gets one full roster
  • Each roster includes 1 team from each tier
  • Your teams earn points throughout the tournament
  • Top 3 players win the prize payouts

Simple setup: 16 players × $100 = $1,600 prize pool. Suggested payouts are $900 / $500 / $200. The organizer can edit the number of players or payouts before sharing the site.