How does the simulator work?

What the simulator lets you do

🏆 This is the tool to simulate who will lift the trophy!

• rank teams in each group in classic mode (drag and drop);
• select or let the site automatically calculate the 8 best 3rd-placed teams;
• generate a 32-team bracket for the knockout stage;
• switch to expert mode to predict the exact scores of all group-stage matches and fill the knockout stage in a “scores” version;
• simulate each knockout round all the way to the title.

Simple group ranking

In classic mode, you reorder teams in each group by drag and drop:

• the 12 group winners qualify;
• the 12 runners-up qualify too;
• then you manually select the 8 qualified third-placed teams.

The 32-team bracket is then generated, and you can click on each team to pick the winner of each match.

Predict every score

In expert mode, you enter the scores for all group-stage matches. The site automatically calculates, for each team:

• matches played;
• wins, draws, losses;
• goals scored / conceded and goal difference;
• points in the standings.

Each group’s ranking updates live based on the results you enter.

How are the 8 best 3rd-placed teams chosen?

In expert mode, once all scores are filled in, the 12 teams that finish 3rd are automatically ranked by:

• points;
• goal difference;
• goals scored;

If several teams remain completely tied, the simulator shows a small window to break the tie using fair play (you rank them from most to least fair-play).

The top 8 in this table qualify for the knockout stage.

Managing playoff placeholders

Some World Cup spots are still unknown (formats like “UEFA playoff winner …”, “Inter-confederation playoff winner …”).

You can open the “Choose playoff teams” window and replace these placeholders with the teams you think will qualify (Italy, Ukraine, Sweden, etc.).

The name and flag are then updated everywhere:

• in the groups (classic mode);
• in expert mode matches;
• in the knockout-stage bracket.

Limits & important note

This simulator is a non-official tool, made for fun and to make predictions with friends easier.

It aims to be as faithful as possible (draws, extreme tie-break rules, etc.), but if you want to be 100% sure, check the official site for all the rules.