1. Contest Overview
OfficialWC26 is a skill-based prediction platform where members forecast team advancements throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Membership provides access to the prediction platform, live leaderboard, daily trivia challenges, community features, and eligibility to compete in the WC26 Bracket Challenge — a promotional contest for members with guaranteed prizes funded entirely by OfficialWC26.
OfficialWC26 is a skill-based prediction contest. No betting or wagering is involved. This is not gambling, a lottery, or a game of chance.
Success depends on member knowledge, analysis, and strategic forecasting across 104 match outcomes using a progressive weighted scoring system.
By joining, you agree to these Official Rules, the Terms of Service, and the Privacy Policy.
Void where prohibited by law. Contest open to legal residents of jurisdictions where skill-based contests are permitted.
2. Eligibility
- Members must be at least 18 years of age to create an account, hold a paid membership, and claim prizes
- One account per person — duplicate or fraudulent accounts will result in disqualification and forfeiture of all submissions and membership fees without refund
- Employees, officers, and immediate family members of OfficialWC26 are not eligible
- Members are solely responsible for complying with all applicable federal, state, and local laws in their jurisdiction
3. Membership & Structure
Free Membership ($0)
Create an account, build and save up to 1 bracket, name it, share it with a referral link, and browse the leaderboard. View the full match schedule online. Free membership includes advertisements. Free members cannot submit brackets or compete for prizes.
Amateur Membership ($5.00 USD)
Submit 1 bracket and compete on the official leaderboard. Access daily trivia challenges, receive a 10% merch store discount, and an ad-free platform experience. Download or auto-subscribe to the full WC26 calendar (subscriptions auto-update as the bracket fills in).
Pro Membership ($15.00 USD)
Submit up to 4 brackets (best score counts for prizes). Everything in Amateur, plus a 15% merch store discount, live leaderboard position updates, and the ability to filter the calendar export by team — download or auto-subscribe to a custom team-filtered calendar.
All memberships are one-time payments. There are no subscriptions, recurring charges, or hidden fees.
- All membership fees are non-refundable
- Brackets lock immediately upon submission and cannot be edited
- View-only access remains after submission
- Free and Amateur members are limited to 1 bracket; Pro members may have up to 4 brackets
- Pro members may submit up to 4 brackets; only the highest-scoring bracket is considered for prize eligibility
- Bracket count limits are enforced at the database level and apply to all members from this point forward
4. Prizes
OfficialWC26 guarantees the following minimum prizes, funded entirely by OfficialWC26:
| Place | Minimum (Guaranteed) |
|---|
| 1st Place | $1,000 |
| 2nd Place | $500 |
| 3rd Place | $250 |
Prizes may increase at OfficialWC26’s sole discretion. Prize amounts are not determined by or funded by membership fees. Prizes will be awarded regardless of the number of members.
Only Amateur and Pro members with at least one submitted bracket are eligible for prizes. Free members are not eligible.
4B. Promotional Contest
The WC26 Bracket Challenge is a promotional contest offered exclusively to OfficialWC26 members. Prizes are funded by OfficialWC26 as a promotional incentive and are not contingent upon membership fees. OfficialWC26 reserves the right to modify or discontinue promotional offerings at its sole discretion.
5. How to Play — Bracket Predictions
Predict team advancements only. No match score predictions required.
Group Stage:
- Select the two teams that advance from each of the 12 groups (24 teams total)
- Identify the exact eight best third-place teams that advance
Knockout Stage:
- Round of 32
- Round of 16
- Quarterfinals
- Semifinals
- Final
6. Scoring System
Group Stage:
- 1 point for each correctly predicted advancing team (including eight best third-place teams)
- Maximum: 32 points
Knockout Stage (Progressive Weighting):
| Round | Points per Correct Pick |
|---|
| Round of 32 | 2 points |
| Round of 16 | 3 points |
| Quarterfinals | 5 points |
| Semifinals | 8 points |
| Final Champion | 12 points |
Maximum knockout points: 104
7. Daily Trivia Bonus
- Two trivia questions released daily during the tournament (~9:00 AM and ~9:00 PM)
- Each question available for 10 minutes only
- Each correct answer earns 0.5 points
- Trivia points capped at 20 total points per account
- Participation in trivia is optional
Trivia participation is optional and supplementary. It does not affect the core bracket prediction competition. The bracket scoring system (Sections 5–6) is the primary determinant of final standings and prize eligibility. Trivia points serve as a minor engagement bonus and do not introduce any element of chance — all trivia questions have objectively correct answers based on publicly available soccer knowledge and tournament facts.
8. Total Possible Score
Maximum possible score: 156 points. The participant with the highest total score at the conclusion of the tournament earns the top prize.
9. Submission Deadline
- All brackets must be submitted before kickoff of the first official 2026 World Cup match
- No late entries or edits permitted after the deadline
10. Tiebreakers
If two or more participants finish with the same total score:
- The pre-submitted Final match tiebreaker (e.g. predicted total goals in the Final) determines placement
- If still tied, prizes may be split equally
- Tiebreaker method specified at submission
11. Prize Distribution
- Winners announced following the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final
- Winners notified via the email address associated with their account
- Winners must respond to the notification sent to their account email within 48 hours. Failure to respond within this period will result in automatic forfeiture of the prize
- It is the winner's sole responsibility to maintain access to the email address associated with their account. OfficialWC26 is not responsible for missed notifications due to incorrect, outdated, or inaccessible email addresses
- If a winner forfeits their prize, an alternate winner may be selected at OfficialWC26's sole discretion based on the next highest score
- If a winner is found to be ineligible (e.g., under 18, duplicate account, prohibited jurisdiction), the prize will be forfeited and awarded to the next eligible participant
- Payouts issued within 14 days of completing identity verification and tax documentation
- Winners may be required to provide government-issued ID and complete IRS Form W-9 (U.S. residents) or W-8BEN (non-U.S. residents) before prizes are distributed
- Participants are solely responsible for all applicable federal, state, and local taxes on prizes received
- OfficialWC26 may be required to report prize winnings to the IRS and withhold taxes as required by law
- Prizes are non-transferable and may not be substituted except at OfficialWC26's sole discretion
12. Identity Verification
OfficialWC26 reserves the right to verify the identity and eligibility of any participant prior to awarding prizes.
Winners may be required to provide documentation including but not limited to:
- Government-issued identification
- Proof of account ownership
- Tax documentation if required by law
Failure to complete identity verification within a reasonable timeframe may result in disqualification and forfeiture of prizes.
13. Fair Play & Integrity
- Brackets are timestamped upon submission and become final
- Automated entries, bots, collusion, or payment manipulation will result in disqualification without refund
- OfficialWC26 reserves the right to void suspicious entries at its sole discretion
- Multiple entries from the same household, IP address, or device are permitted only if each entry belongs to a separate, verified individual. Suspicious patterns may trigger additional verification
- Official match results are determined by official FIFA tournament records
- OfficialWC26 reserves the right to disqualify any participant and cancel their entries without refund for rule violations, fraudulent activity, or conduct that threatens the integrity of the contest. This determination is final and not subject to appeal
14. Rule Updates & Support
- OfficialWC26 reserves the right to update or modify these rules at any time. Material changes will be communicated via email or a prominent notice on the Site
- All disputes arising from the contest are subject to binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Participants waive the right to class-action lawsuits
- Support inquiries: info@officialwc26.com — response within 24 hours
15. Data & Privacy
Participant data is collected and used solely for contest administration, scoring, prize distribution, and fraud prevention. For full details on how we collect, use, and protect your data, see our Privacy Policy.
16. Independence Statement
WC26 is independently operated and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or organized by FIFA or any official football governing body.
17. Refund Policy
- All membership fees are final and non-refundable once a bracket has been submitted
- If the 2026 FIFA World Cup is cancelled, postponed beyond December 31, 2026, or materially altered such that the contest cannot be reasonably completed, a pro-rata refund or credit may be issued at OfficialWC26’s sole discretion
- Technical issues during bracket submission do not guarantee a refund — contact info@officialwc26.com for resolution
- Free Amateur Membership upgrades earned through the referral program have no cash value and are not eligible for refund
18. Limitation of Liability
OfficialWC26 is not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, or incomplete entries due to system errors, failures, or circumstances beyond our control. Payments are processed through our third-party payment processor. OfficialWC26 is not liable for payment errors caused by third-party processors.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, OFFICIALWC26’S TOTAL LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS CONTEST SHALL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL MEMBERSHIP FEES PAID BY THE MEMBER.
19. Age Restrictions
Participants must be at least 18 years of age. By participating, you confirm that you meet this requirement. OfficialWC26 reserves the right to request age verification at any time.
20. Jurisdiction & Governing Law
This contest is governed by the laws of the State of Florida, United States. Any disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
21. Severability
If any provision of these rules is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.
22. Contest Operator Authority
OfficialWC26 reserves the right to cancel, suspend, or modify the contest if fraud, technical failures, or any other factor beyond its control compromises the integrity or proper functioning of the contest. In the event of cancellation, prizes will be awarded based on standings at the time of cancellation, or membership fees refunded on a pro-rata basis, at OfficialWC26’s sole discretion.
23. Referral Program
- OfficialWC26 offers a referral program allowing members to earn promotional benefits by inviting others to join the platform
- Each member receives a unique referral link upon creating an account
- A referral is valid when the referred individual creates an account and purchases an Amateur or Pro membership
- Account creation alone does not constitute a valid referral
- Upon accumulating three (3) valid referrals, the referring member will receive a promotional code for one (1) free Amateur Membership upgrade, redeemable at checkout
- Free Amateur Membership upgrade codes are single-use and subject to availability
- OfficialWC26 reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the referral program at any time
- Each paid Amateur or Pro membership entitles the member to a merchandise discount code at the OfficialWC26 store (shop.officialwc26.com) — 10% for Amateur, 15% for Pro. Discount codes are single-use and expire 30 days after issuance
- Referral program abuse, including creating fake accounts or manipulating referral counts, will result in disqualification and forfeiture of all rewards
