Pick who escapes all 12 groups, choose the eight best third-placed teams, then fill out the entire knockout bracket from the Round of 32 to the final — and crown your champion. Free, no sign-up. Your picks save automatically.
For each group, tap 1, 2 and 3 to set who finishes 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The 4th team is eliminated.
Eight of the twelve third-placed teams advance. Choose which 8 make it into the Round of 32.
Tap the team you think wins each match. Winners advance automatically to the next round.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the biggest in history: 48 teams, 12 groups, 104 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico, ending with the final on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey. Our free World Cup 2026 bracket predictor lets you map out every step of the knockout stage — from the brand-new Round of 32 all the way to lifting the trophy.
Unlike older tournaments, finishing third in your group is no longer the end of the road. In 2026 the top two teams from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams reach the knockout phase, creating a 32-team bracket. That makes predicting the bracket trickier — and a lot more fun. Make your picks above, then share them with friends to see who has the sharpest eye.
Each of the 12 groups (A through L) contains four teams that play each other once. Three points are awarded for a win and one for a draw. After the group stage:
That gives 32 teams in the Round of 32. From there it is straight knockout football: Round of 32, Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final. If a knockout match is level after 90 minutes, 30 minutes of extra time are played, followed by a penalty shootout if still tied.
The favourites are spread across the draw so the strongest sides only meet late. Spain went in as the highest-ranked nation, with defending champions Argentina seeded on the opposite side of the bracket so a Spain–Argentina clash could only happen in the final. Heavyweights like France, England, Brazil, Germany, Portugal and the Netherlands headline their groups, while co-hosts USA, Mexico and Canada all carry home advantage.
48 teams play in 12 groups of four. The top two from each group plus the eight best third-placed teams reach a new Round of 32, then it is knockout football through the Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final on July 19, 2026.
Two teams qualify automatically from every group. On top of that, the eight best third-placed teams across all 12 groups also advance, giving 32 knockout teams in total.
The final is on July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — part of the New York/New Jersey host city.
Yes. It is completely free, needs no account, and your picks are saved on your own device so you can come back and adjust them as the tournament unfolds.
Love football and geography? Try our other free games like Flag Blitz, Capital Quest and Globe Hunt on the GeoMind home page.