> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.predict.fun/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.predict.fun/world-cup-2026/full-rules-and-reference.md).
# Full Rules and Reference
## Full Rules and Reference
### World Cup 2026 on Predict.fun: Full Rules and Reference
This is the complete reference for the Predict Cup activity on Predict.fun.
It serves to answer detailed questions about how teams, markets, Fan Points, qualification, leaderboards, prize pools, and payouts work. Looking for a general overview? Head over here first and return to this page for the specifics.
The document below outlines the standard design for the activity. Live pools, tiers, market cards, and your qualification status are always shown in the app, and the app is the source of truth for any given match.
#### 1. The Big Picture
The Predict Cup is a single, long game that runs across the entire World Cup 2026 tournament. You pick a team, predict their matches, and ride with them for as long as they stay alive. The further your team goes, the more rounds you can earn from.
Here is the full loop, end to end:
1. You select a team (up to twelve teams in total).
2. For each of that team's matches, Predict.fun lists a card of markets that you can participate in (ten in earlier rounds, growing to fourteen from the quarter-finals onward).
3. You make your predictions by buying and locking a position in each market you want to play.
4. When a match resolves, every market you qualified on and got right pays you a fixed amount of Fan Points.
5. Your Fan Points stack on that team's own leaderboard, alongside every other player that also picked the same team.
6. At the end of each round, Predict.fun pays a prize pool to the top 500 backers of each team that advanced, split into tiers by Fan Point ranks.
7. Your points carry forward with the team you selected, as long as it keeps winning (so a long run keeps compounding).
There is $2,000,000 in total rewards across the tournament, funded entirely by Predict.fun.
#### 2. Picking Your Teams
Your team selection is the single most important decision in the activity, because you only earn on your own teams' matches.
**How many teams can you pick?** You can select up to twelve teams for your entry into the activity.
**Each team is a separate run.** Every team you pick is fully independent. It has its own Fan Points total, its own leaderboard, and its own prize pools. Nothing is shared or pooled across your teams. Think of each pick as its own ticket, so twelve picks is twelve separate runs at the prize pools.
**Picking is free.** Selecting a team costs nothing. You only ever spend when you buy shares in a market.
**Fill slots whenever you like.** You do not have to choose all twelve teams at the start. You can leave slots empty and add teams later in the tournament. There is no deadline to fill a slot.
**Picks are final.** Once you select a team into a slot, that choice is locked for the whole tournament. You cannot swap one team out for another later, and you cannot pick the same team into two slots.
**Picking late.** If you select a team partway through the tournament, that's fine. You simply start that team at zero Fan Points and begin earning from its next match. You will not be able to earn Fan Points on any matches that have already started or are in progress either.
{% hint style="info" %}
Patriotic or pragmatic? Backing your home nation is fun, but backing teams with realistic prospects gives you more rounds to earn from. Many players spread their twelve picks across favorites and a couple of dark horses.
{% endhint %}
#### 3. The Markets
Each of your team's matches has a card of markets to predict. There are ten market types with only one option that will win in the earlier rounds, growing to fourteen from the quarter-finals onward as four additional markets are introduced (Team Total Goals, Total Assists (Player), Total Shots (Player), and Penalty Shootout — see 3.1.10, 3.1.11, 3.3, and 3.4 below).
**3.1.1 Moneyline**
The full-time result of the match:
* Team A Win
* Team B Win
* Draw
**3.1.2 Half Time Result**
The result at half time only (the score at the 45-minute mark, before the second half):
* Team A Win
* Team B Win
* Draw
**3.1.3 Spread**
A goal handicap. The line can be chosen from the following possibilities:
* Team A -1.5 / Team B +1.5
* Team A -2.5 / Team B +2.5
* Team A +1.5 / Team B -1.5
* Team A +2.5 / Team B -2.5
For example, if Team A is a clear favorite, the listed line might be Team A -1.5, meaning Team A needs to win by two or more goals for that side to be correct. You pick the side of the listed line you think will be correct.
**3.1.4 Total Goals**
The total number of goals scored by both teams combined, over or under a chosen line. As with the spread, the line can be from any of the following:
* Over / Under 0.5
* Over / Under 1.5
* Over / Under 2.5
* Over / Under 3.5
* Over / Under 4.5
* Over / Under 5.5
You pick **Over** or **Under** on the listed line.
**3.1.5 Both Teams to Score**
Whether or not both teams score a goal during the match:
* Yes
* No
**3.1.6 Exact Score**
The precise final scoreline. This is the hardest market on the card, with 17 options:
* Draw 0:0
* Draw 1:1
* Draw 2:2
* Draw 3:3
* Team A 1:0
* Team A 2:0
* Team A 3:0
* Team A 2:1
* Team A 3:1
* Team A 3:2
* Team B 1:0
* Team B 2:0
* Team B 3:0
* Team B 2:1
* Team B 3:1
* Team B 3:2
* Any Other Score
*Any Other Score* covers every result not listed individually (for example a 4:2, or any score with four or more goals for one side).
**3.1.7 Total Corners**
The total number of corners taken, over or under a chosen line:
* Over \[line]
* Under \[line]
**3.1.8 Team to Advance**
Which of the two teams will advance upon the final outcome of the game – accounting for extra time and penalty shootouts.
* Team A
* Team B
**3.1.9 First Team to Score**
Which of the two teams will score first:
* Team A
* Neither
* Team B
**3.1.10 Team Total Goals**
*Introduced from the Quarter-finals onward.*
The total number of goals scored by a single team (Team A or Team B), over or under a chosen line:
* Over \[line]
* Under \[line]
This is separate from the combined Total Goals market in 3.1.4, which covers both teams' goals added together.
**3.1.11 Penalty Shootout**
*Introduced from the Quarter-finals onward.*
Which team wins the match via a penalty shootout, if the match reaches one after extra time:
* Team A
* Team B
This market only settles, and can only be qualified on, if the match actually goes to a shootout.
**3.2 Total Goals (Player)**
The number of goals a given player will score, over or under a chosen line:
* Over \[line]
* Under \[line]
**3.3 Total Assists (Player)**
*Introduced from the Quarter-finals onward.*
The number of assists a given player registers, over or under a chosen line:
* Over \[line]
* Under \[line]
**3.4 Total Shots (Player)**
*Introduced from the Quarter-finals onward.*
The number of shots a given player takes, over or under a chosen line:
* Over \[line]
* Under \[line]
#### 4. Earning Fan Points
Every market on the card is worth a fixed number of Fan Points if you qualify and your prediction is correct. The value is shown on each market card in the app.
**4.1 Standard Fan Points by market**
| Market | Fan Points (if correct) - R32 | Fan Points (if correct) - R16 | Fan Points (if correct) - QF | Fan Points (if correct) - SF |
| ----------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ----------------------------- | ---------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| Moneyline | 800 | 1,600 | 2,600 | 5,500 |
| Spread | 700 | 1,500 | 2,000 | 4,500 |
| Total Goals | 700 | 1,500 | 2,300 | 5,500 |
| Both Teams to Score | 600 | 1,500 | 2,100 | 4,600 |
| Half Time Result | 600 | 1,300 | 2,200 | 5,500 |
| Exact Score | 800 | 1,800 | 3,000 | 7,500 |
| Total Corners | 750 | 1,600 | 2,400 | 6,000 |
| Team to Advance | 400 | 800 | 1,000 | 1,600 |
| First Team to Score | 500 | 1,300 | 2,000 | 4,500 |
| Total Goals (Team A Player) | 600 | 1,300 | 2,000 | 4,500 |
| Total Goals (Team B Player) | 600 | 1,300 | 2,000 | 4,500 |
| Team Total Goals (Team A) | – | – | 1,800 | 4,000 |
| Team Total Goals (Team B) | – | – | 1,800 | 4,000 |
| Total Assists (Team A Player) | – | – | 1,600 | 3,700 |
| Total Assists (Team B Player) | – | – | 1,600 | 3,700 |
| Total Shots (Team A Player) | – | – | 1,600 | 3,800 |
| Total Shots (Team B Player) | – | – | 1,600 | 3,800 |
| Penalty Shootout | – | – | 1,400 | 2,800 |
The most a single match can give you, if you qualify and win every market on the card, grows with each round: **15,500 Fan Points** at the Round of 16, **35,000 Fan Points** at the Quarter-finals, and **80,000 Fan Points** at the Semi-finals.
The exact set of markets and their values can vary from match to match, so always read the value shown on each card. The table above is the standard set.
**4.2 How points accumulate**
Fan Points are credited automatically after a market resolves in your favor. There is no claim step. Your total for that team simply grows as its matches play out, and your position on the team's leaderboard updates with it.
Points are only ever earned on markets where you meet all of the qualification requirements below. A correct prediction that did not qualify earns nothing.
#### 5. Qualifying for a Market
To make sure Fan Points reward real trading and not just clicking, each market has three requirements. You must meet all three on a given market for it to count.
**5.1 The three requirements**
1. **Buy and lock a position before kickoff.** Choose the option you believe will be correct, hold at least 20 shares of it, and lock that selection in before the match kicks off.
2. **Hold the position at resolution.** You must be holding at least 20 shares of your locked option when the market resolves. You are free to trade in between, including selling and buying back, as long as you are holding the minimum at both kickoff and resolution.
3. **Win.** Your locked option must be the correct one.
If you miss any of the three, that market's Fan Points are not credited, even if your prediction turns out to be correct.
Note that you must purchase the shares on the market. Splitting USDT into shares will not count.
**5.2 The Exact Score market minimum**
The minimum for the Exact Score market is 40 shares, not 20. Every other market uses the standard 20-share minimum. The required amount for whichever option you select is always shown on the card.
**5.3 The lock lifecycle**
Locking is how you commit a prediction. Here is exactly how it behaves:
* **Before kickoff:** You can select an option, lock it, unlock it, and switch to a different option as many times as you like. Nothing is final until the match starts.
* **The lock button:** If you are holding enough shares of the option you have selected (20, or 40 for Exact Score), the lock control is active. If you are short on the required number of shares, the card shows a BUY prompt so you can top up your holdings.
* **At kickoff:** Your locked selection becomes final for that market. You can no longer switch options or unlock.
* **During the match:** You can keep trading. If your holding drops below the minimum, the market will show a warning that you are not currently eligible. You can buy back the amount of shares above the minimum any time before the market resolves to restore eligibility.
* **At resolution:** The system checks that you are holding the minimum and that your locked option won. If both are true, your Fan Points are credited automatically.
{% hint style="info" %}
Watch your position during the match. If you sell below the minimum and do not buy back before the market resolves, you lose that market's Fan Points even if your pick was correct. The activity page shows your live qualification status for every market, so you always know where you stand.
{% endhint %}
#### 6. The Leaderboard
Every team has its own Fan Points leaderboard that ranks all of that team's backers against each other.
* **One leaderboard per team.** Your twelve teams each have a separate board. Your rank on one has no effect on the others.
* **Live and automatic.** As each of your team's matches resolves, your points are credited and the board re-ranks instantly. There is no claim step.
* **What you see.** The board shows the top 500 backers plus your own rank, so even if you are outside the top 500 you can always see how far you are from the paying tier.
* **Only the top 500 are paid.** Each round's prize pool is split among the top 500 ranks on the surviving team's board (see section 7 and 8).
**6.1 Ties**
If two or more backers finish on exactly the same number of Fan Points, there is no tiebreaker. They jointly occupy the consecutive ranks they span, and they split the combined rewards of those ranks equally.
For example, on a $50,000 group pool where #1 pays $7,500 and #2 pays $2,500: if two backers tie for the top score, they together take the #1 and #2 money ($10,000 combined) and split it equally, so $5,000 each. The next distinct score down is then ranked #3.
#### 7. Prize Pools
Predict.fun funds a fixed prize pool for every group and every knockout round, for a total of $2,000,000.
**7.1 The schedule**
| **Stage** | **Pool** |
| --------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| Group stage, 1st place team | $50,000 per group |
| Group stage, 2nd place team | $20,000 per group |
| Round of 32 | $25,000 per surviving team |
| Round of 16 | $30,000 per surviving team |
| Quarter-finals | $40,000 per surviving team |
| Semi-finals | $50,000 per surviving team |
| Final | $260,000 |
The group stage pays two pools per group: $50,000 to the backers of the team that finishes 1st, and $20,000 to the backers of the team that finishes 2nd, which is $70,000 per group in total. From the Round of 32 onward, each team that wins its match (and therefore survives the round) has a separate pool paid to its backers.
**7.2 Which teams get paid each round**
A round's pool is paid to the backers of teams that come through that round:
* **Group stage:** the 1st and 2nd place teams in each group.
* **Round of 32 onward:** every team that wins its match and advances.
You earn a round's pool when your team comes through that round. So a team that loses in the quarter-finals earns the group, Round of 32, and Round of 16 pools (the rounds it won), but not the quarter-final pool.
#### 8. How Each Pool Is Split
Each pool is shared among the top 500 backers of the team, paid out in tiers by Fan Points rank. The higher you finish, the more you take. The top of the board is rewarded heavily: the #1 spot takes 15% of the pool through the semi-finals, rising to roughly 20% in the final.
**8.1 Full tier table (amount per rank, by round)**
This is the exact amount each rank receives in each round's pool. For tiers that span a range (for example #4 to #10), every rank inside that range receives the listed amount.
| **Rank** | **Group 1st ($50k)** | **Group 2nd ($20k)** | **R32 ($25k)** | **R16 ($30k)** | **QF ($40k)** | **SF ($50k)** | **Final ($260k)** |
| ------------------- | -------------------- | -------------------- | -------------- | -------------- | ------------- | ------------- | ----------------- |
| #1 | $7,500 | $3,000 | $3,750 | $4,500 | $6,000 | $7,500 | $50,000 |
| #2 | $2,500 | $1,000 | $1,250 | $1,500 | $2,000 | $2,500 | $20,000 |
| #3 | $1,000 | $400 | $500 | $600 | $800 | $1,000 | $12,500 |
| #4 to #10 (each) | $500 | $200 | $250 | $300 | $400 | $500 | $5,000 |
| #11 to #50 (each) | $200 | $80 | $100 | $120 | $160 | $200 | $1,000 |
| #51 to #150 (each) | $100 | $40 | $50 | $60 | $80 | $100 | $500 |
| #151 to #500 (each) | $50 | $20 | $25 | $30 | $40 | $50 | $150 |
Every column adds up exactly to that round's pool across all 500 paid ranks.
**8.2 The shape of the payouts**
Through the quarter-finals, the pools spread wide. The large bottom band (ranks 151 to 500) is the single biggest slice of each early-round pool, so a lot of backers walk away with something. The final flips toward the top, with a $50,000 headline for the #1 backer, while still paying meaningful amounts deep down the board.
#### 9. Riding Through the Tournament
Your Fan Points are cumulative. They carry forward with your team for as long as it keeps advancing, and every round pays out on your running total. A longer run means your points, and your rewards, keep compounding.
**9.1 Advancing out of the group**
The tournament has 48 teams in 12 groups of four. The top two teams in each group advance automatically, and the eight best third-placed teams across all groups also advance, filling out the 32-team Round of 32.
* Backers of the **1st and 2nd place team** in a group share that group's pools ($50,000 and $20,000 respectively).
* A **third-placed team that advances** does not earn a group pool, but its backers keep their Fan Points and carry them forward. If that team then wins its Round of 32 match, its backers share the Round of 32 pool as normal.
**9.2 Advancing through the knockouts**
From the Round of 32 onward, your run continues for as long as your team keeps winning. Each time the team advances, that round's pool is paid to the team's top 500 backers, and your accumulated points carry into the next round.
**9.3 Elimination**
If your team is knocked out, the run on that team stops earning. You keep every Fan Point and every reward you have already earned. You cannot re-pick a new team into that slot, but any of your other teams keep going on their own runs.
#### 10. Worked Examples
These figures are illustrative. Your actual payout each round depends on where you finish on your team's leaderboard, and live pools and tiers are always shown in the app.
**10.1 A full champion run at #1**
You back a team, follow them to the title, and top their leaderboard at #1 in every round.
| **Round** | **Pool** | **Payout at #1** |
| ----------------------- | ----------- | ---------------- |
| Group stage (1st place) | $50,000 | $7,500 |
| Round of 32 | $25,000 | $3,750 |
| Round of 16 | $30,000 | $4,500 |
| Quarter-final | $40,000 | $6,000 |
| Semi-final | $50,000 | $7,500 |
| Final | $260,000 | $50,000 |
| Total |
| $79,250 |
The #1 share is 15% of the pool through the semi-finals and jumps to roughly 20% in the final.
**10.2 A mid-pack backer on a quarter-finalist**
You back a team that wins its group, then comes through the Round of 32 and Round of 16 before losing in the quarter-finals. You finish around rank #25 on its leaderboard each round (inside the #11 to #50 band).
| **Round** | **Your tier** | **Payout** |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------ | ---------- |
| Group stage (1st place) | #11 to #50 | $200 |
| Round of 32 | #11 to #50 | $100 |
| Round of 16 | #11 to #50 | $120 |
| Quarter-final | team eliminated, no pool | $0 |
| **Total** |
| **$420** |
The team earns the rounds it came through (group, Round of 32, Round of 16) but not the quarter-final, which it lost.
**10.3 An early exit**
You back a team that finishes 2nd in its group, then loses in the Round of 32. You finish around rank #6 on its leaderboard (inside the #4 to #10 band).
| **Round** | **Your tier** | **Payout** |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------ | ---------- |
| Group stage (2nd place) | #4 to #10 | $200 |
| Round of 32 | team eliminated, no pool | $0 |
| **Total** |
| **$200** |
You keep that $200 even though the run ended early, and your other teams play on.
#### 11. Payouts
* **Currency.** All pools are paid in USDT.
* **Timing**. Pools pay out after each round ends, once markets have settled and Fan Points are finalized.
* **Resolution**. Market resolution follows UMA Optimistic Oracle timing, the same trusted resolution that powers the rest of Predict.fun.
#### 12. FAQ
**Can I really pick more than one team?** Yes, up to twelve. Each is a fully separate run with its own points, leaderboard, and pools. You can fill empty slots whenever you like.
**Can I pick two teams from the same group?** Yes. As of the round of 16, you can pick multiple teams from the same group.
**Can I change my team later?** No. Once a team is selected into a slot it is locked for the whole tournament. You can still leave other slots empty and add different teams to them later.
**Can I sell my shares during a match?** Yes. You only need to be holding the minimum (20 shares, or 40 for Exact Score) of your locked option at kickoff and again at resolution. What you do in between is up to you.
**What happens if my holding drops below the minimum mid-match?** The market shows a warning that you are not currently eligible. Buy back above the minimum before the market resolves to restore your eligibility. If you are still below the minimum at resolution, that market does not pay.
**Do I have to lock every market?** No. Lock only the markets you want to play. Each market qualifies independently.
**What if I pick a team partway through the World Cup?** That is fine. You start that team at zero Fan Points and earn from its next match onward. Matches that have already kicked off are not available to earn on.
**How are ties on the leaderboard handled?** There is no tiebreaker. Tied backers jointly take the combined rewards of the ranks they span and split them equally.
**When do I get my rewards?** After each round ends, once markets have settled and points are finalized. Payouts are in USDT, credited automatically with no claim step.
**What happens to my points if my team loses?** You keep every Fan Point and every reward you have already earned. That run simply stops, while your other teams keep playing.
**Does a third-placed team that advances earn the group pool?** No. Only the 1st and 2nd place teams earn group pools. A third-placed team that advances earns nothing from the group stage, but its backers keep their points and can earn from the Round of 32 onward if the team keeps winning.
#### 13. Glossary
**Fan Points:** the activity's scoring points. Earned on qualifying, correct market predictions, they determine your rank on a team's leaderboard and therefore your share of the prize pools. Fan Points are separate from any trading profit or loss on your share positions.
**Market:** a single prediction on a team's match, such as the moneyline or the exact score. Each market is two-sided and has exactly one correct option.
**Option:** a specific outcome within a market, for example "Draw" in the moneyline or "Over 2.5" in total goals.
**Lock:** committing your chosen option in a market before kickoff. A locked, qualifying, winning option is what earns Fan Points.
**Qualify:** meeting all three requirements on a market: buy and lock the minimum shares before kickoff, hold the minimum at resolution, and win.
**Pool:** the prize money Predict.fun funds for a given group pool or knockout round, shared by the top 500 backers of the relevant team.
**Surviving team:** a team that comes through a round (finishes 1st or 2nd in its group, or wins its knockout match). Surviving teams pay out that round's pool to their backers.
**Run:** the full life of one team selection, from the match you start earning on until the team is eliminated or wins the title.
**Tier:** a band of leaderboard ranks that all receive the same payout amount in a round's pool.