AshBracket 2026
Pre–knockout picks lock June 8, 2026 at 5:59 PM (UTC) unless the host changes the deadline. Stage 3 opens after the official Round of 32 bracket is published.
How the pool works
This pool has three stages. Every point you earn adds to one total score.
Stage 1 — First and second in each group
Pick the team that finishes 1st and the team that finishes 2nd in every group.
Stage 2 — Best third-place teams
Pick one third-place team for any group you think sends a best-third advancer, ending with exactly eight selected groups. Each group row only uses nations from that group, order does not matter, and you are only predicting who qualifies — not which bracket slot each lands in. FIFA places those teams into the real Round of 32; your list does not set matchups. You cannot pick the same nation twice across Stage 1 and Stage 2 (a group top-two pick cannot also be one of your eight third-place advancers).
Stage 3 — Knockout bracket
After the group stage, organizers publish the official Round of 32 bracket with real FIFA matchups. Once that bracket is live in the app, you fill Round of 32 through champion using those slots. Knockout scoring counts once per team you picked, based on how far that team actually goes in the tournament.
When things lock
Stages 1 and 2 (group 1st/2nd picks and your eight third-place advancers), plus bonus picks, are due by the pool’s lock time — usually before the first match.
Stage 3 stays closed until organizers enter every official Round of 32 slot. After that, you can complete the knockout path while those picks still follow the published FIFA bracket.
How you score points
You earn points when your picks line up with real results. Group finishes, third-place advancers, knockout depth, and bonus categories all add into the same total.
Standings rank everyone by that single total.
Prizes
Payouts are a percentage of the total prize pool.
- 1st place — 50% of the total prize pool
- 2nd place — 25% of the total prize pool
- 3rd place — 15% of the total prize pool
- 4th place — 10% of the total prize pool
Entry
$25 per entry
One entry per person unless the organizer says otherwise.
Stage 1 — Group stage picks
For each group, pick which team finishes first and which finishes second (top two in the group).
- 5 points if the team is in the correct position
- 2.5 points if the team finishes in the top two but in the other qualifying position than you picked
- 0 points if the team does not finish in the top two in the group.
Stage 2 — Best third-place teams
Pick exactly eight groups whose third-place team advances. You are not placing those teams into bracket positions — only predicting who qualifies.
After the group stage, FIFA assigns those sides to real knockout slots. Each Stage 2 choice must come from that row’s group, and a group top-two pick cannot also be one of your eight third-place advancers.
- 2 points for each correctly picked team that advances as a best third-place qualifier
- 0 points for each incorrect team
- Order does not matter.
Stage 3 — Knockout bracket
Knockout point values are listed for this pool in the table below. They are awarded once per team, using the furthest round that team reaches — not once per round pick.
| Furthest round reached | Points |
|---|---|
| Quarter-finals | 10 |
| Semi-finals | 20 |
| Finalist | 50 |
| Champion | 100 |
Bonus picks
Tournament-wide picks — one team per category. Scoring values come from the table below (or from the database for this pool).
| Category | Points |
|---|---|
| Team with the most goals in the tournament | 50 |
| Team with the most yellow cards | 10 |
| Team with the most red cards | 10 |
Ties
If two or more users finish with the same total score, the prize money for the tied positions is combined and split equally among those tied users. Examples: • If two users tie for 1st, they split 1st and 2nd prize money evenly. • If three users tie across 2nd to 4th, they split the combined 2nd, 3rd, and 4th prize money evenly.