About PickTheCup
What is PickTheCup?
PickTheCup is a free tool for building your 2026 FIFA World Cup bracket prediction. You pick the top two finishers from all 12 groups, select the 8 best third-place teams that advance, and simulate the full knockout bracket — from the Round of 32 to the Final — in minutes.
When you save your prediction you get a unique URL to share with friends and compete on the global ranking. As the tournament progresses, your picks are scored against real results and your ranking updates automatically.
Tournament format
The 2026 World Cup is the first with 48 teams. The 48 nations are divided into 12 groups of 4 teams each. The top two from each group advance directly to the Round of 32, and the 8 best third-place teams (out of 12) also qualify using the same UEFA tiebreaker criteria: points → goal difference → goals scored → fair play.
Hosts: United States, Canada & Mexico · Dates: June 11 – July 19, 2026.
Scoring system
Each correct pick is worth more as the tournament advances:
| Round | Points per correct pick |
|---|---|
| Round of 32 | 1 pt |
| Round of 16 | 2 pts |
| Quarterfinals | 4 pts |
| Semifinals | 8 pts |
| Champion | 16 pts |
The maximum possible score is 63 points (all picks correct).
AI analysis
Every shared prediction includes an analysis generated by Google Gemini 2.5 Flash that evaluates your tactical picks. Each team page also has individual analysis covering formation, key players and tournament projection.
The project
PickTheCup was built with Next.js 16, React 19, Tailwind CSS v4 and PostgreSQL. It is an independent project, not affiliated with or endorsed by FIFA. Any questions: hello@pickthecup.com.