Guide

Glossary of sports prediction terms

If you're new to predictions, some words come up all the time. Here's a short, clear glossary so you understand them all at a glance.

Game terms

Pool / sweepstake: the game of predicting results with friends. Creating a group is setting up your pool.
Prediction: the score you forecast for a match (for example, 2–1).
Exact score: getting the result spot on (you predicted 2–1 and it finished 2–1). Worth the most points.
Correct result: getting the winner right (or the draw), even without the exact score (you predicted 2–1 and it finished 3–1).
Global prediction: your pick for the tournament's champion and runner-up. Worth bonus points and has a deadline.

Group stage: the first phase, where teams are split into groups and play everyone in their group.
Knockouts (single elimination): the phase where the loser is out. It includes the Round of 32, round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-final and final.
Round of 32: the first knockout round of the 2026 World Cup, with the 32 qualified teams.
Extra time: 30 extra minutes played if a knockout match is level after 90.
Penalties: the shootout that decides the winner if it's still level after extra time. It decides who advances, but doesn't change the match score.

Leaderboard: your group's ranking, sorted by points.
Goal-difference bonus: an extra point in the knockouts if you get the result and the exact goal difference right.
Locked prediction: when a match starts, your prediction closes and can no longer be changed.

If you want to see how many points each correct call awards in each phase, it's all detailed in the rules.

Ready to play?

Create your group, invite your friends and start predicting — free.