How to Run a World Cup 2026 Office Pool (Free, 5 Minutes)

World Cup office pools are an HR-approved way to spend the next 6 weeks not working. Here's how to set one up in 5 minutes — free, no betting, no spreadsheet hell.

Step 1: Create the pool (60 seconds)

Go to our pools page and click Create a pool. You'll get:

• A 6-character invite code (e.g. 7K3M9P).
• An invite link your team can click instead of typing the code.
• A private leaderboard only your group sees.
• You as the owner — can kick members, set lock dates, and pick scoring mode.

Step 2: Pick your scoring mode

Two modes available when you create a pool:

• Classic(default): fixed points per round (R32: 2, R16: 4, QF: 8, SF: 16, Final: 32). The standard ESPN-style scoring. Best for casual office pools where everyone — including the person who just picked "the team with the cool jerseys" — feels like they have a shot.
• Upset Bonus: same base + a bonus when the winner has a worse FIFA rank than the loser. Best for offices with at least 2-3 actual football fans who'll punish the lazy favorites-only picks. Picking Saudi Arabia over Argentina pays out 30+ points.

See full details on the scoring page.

Step 3: Set your lock date

Default lock: kickoff on June 11, 2026. But the owner can set anything:

• Earlier lock (e.g. June 5): useful when you want to keep coworkers from frantically updating picks at their desks on June 10.
• Later lock: if your group is starting mid-tournament (say, your team just got reorganized in late June), you can join the pool late and only score points from your lock date forward.

Step 4: Invite your team

Three ways to share the pool:

1. Slack the invite link. They click → sign in with email or Google → in.
2. Share the 6-character code in an email. They paste it on the pools page.
3. Native share button on the pool page (works on mobile — uses iOS/Android share sheet).

Sign-in is friction-free: email magic link or Google. No passwords, no apps. Coworkers can join in 30 seconds.

Step 5: Make the picks

Each member fills out:

1. 12 group standings (rank top 4 in each).
2. 8 wildcard third-place teams.
3. Knockout bracket from R32 to the final.

The bracket page shows FIFA rankings, World Cup history, and star players for every match — so even the "I just like the flag" member can pretend to know what they're doing.

Prize ideas (optional, no money required)

We don't handle money — your pool, your rules. Some classic non-cash prizes:

• Worst pick gets coffee duty for the week of the final.
• Bottom 3 expense lunch for the top 3.
• Loser wears the winning team's jersey to a team meeting (works best in remote setups via Zoom).
• Trophy mug or random Amazon gag gift from petty cash.

How to keep engagement up over 6 weeks

• Friday recap email: post the leaderboard Slack screenshot every Friday. Easy bragging fuel.
• Match-day chatter: pin the leaderboard or post per-match results in a dedicated #worldcup channel.
• Trash talk thread: separate channel encouraged. Most office pools die when chatter dies.
• Multiple pools: nothing stops you from running one for the whole company + one for just your team. Each has its own leaderboard.

What about HR? Is this gambling?

No. We don't accept money, don't process payments, and don't pay out cash prizes. The pool is for entertainment only. Your office's policy on gift-card prizes from petty cash is between you and your HR director — most large companies allow small-stakes contests like this.

Start your pool now

Free forever. No app. No download. Five-minute setup.

Create my office pool →