HOW TO PLAY
Six steps from blank pack to bracket champion. The whole thing takes about ten minutes — most of which you'll spend agonising over which striker to lock.
- 01DIFFICULTY
Pick your pain
Three settings: Sunday League (vibes), Pro (realistic), and Legendary (your XI better be elite or you're going home in the group stage). Difficulty scales opponent ratings and how punishing variance is.
- 02FORMATION
Pick your shape
Choose from 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 3-5-2, 5-3-2 and friends. The shape decides the eleven slots you have to fill — wingers, fullbacks, holders, the lot. No going back once the draft starts.
- 03DRAFT
Spin eleven packs
For each slot, three random legends from any World Cup squad spin in. Lock one. The other two vanish forever. Players can fill alt positions (a CM can cover CDM, etc.), but you're locked to the slot's role.
- 04GROUP STAGE
Replace a real 2026 nation
Your XI is dropped into one of the real 2026 World Cup groups, replacing whichever nation makes the table interesting. Three group games, top two advance, third may sneak through as a best-third.
- 05KNOCKOUTS
Survive the bracket
Round of 32 → Round of 16 → Quarters → Semis → Final. Every match is simulated minute-by-minute with goals, assists, MOTM and a stage-appropriate commentary blurb. Lose once and it's over.
- 06VERDICT
Read the obituary
End of the run you get a Golden Boot, a Top Performer, a Biggest Disappointment, full player stats and a final commentary. Share the squad with friends, or hit DRAFT AGAIN and try not to pick three keepers this time.
- · A balanced spine (GK, CB, CM, ST) usually beats a flashy front three with paper at the back.
- · Pace on the wings matters more than you think — defenders can't catch what they can't see.
- · Stamina is fake here. Pick the legend, not the year.
- · On Legendary, anything under an 87 OVR XI is a brave choice. Brave.