Format guide

World Cup 2026 Format

The 2026 format expands the tournament into twelve groups of four teams. Each group produces a first-place team, a second-place team, and one third-place candidate. The first two teams from every group advance directly, while eight of the twelve third-place teams complete the 32-team knockout field.

How the sandbox uses the format

This project is built as a sandbox rather than a match-by-match score predictor. You arrange each group in the order you want, and the simulator moves the top two teams into the bracket automatically. Third-place teams are handled separately because only eight of them advance.

Why the third-place pool matters

In a score-based tournament, third-place teams would be compared by results and ranking rules. In this sandbox, the pool becomes a simple interaction: select the eight third-place teams you want, or use the auto option to fill the bracket quickly.

What is simplified

The current MVP does not require users to enter every match score. It also uses a sandbox bracket map while the product focuses on interaction speed. The goal is to make tournament scenarios easy to build and share.