Guide
How to predict the 2026 World Cup knockouts
Once the group stage ends, the best part begins: the knockouts. Every match is do-or-die, the points climb round by round, and a strong run can flip the leaderboard. Here's how to predict this stage and get the most out of it.
Why the knockouts are worth more
In the group stage every match awards the same points. Not in the knockouts: each round is worth more than the last. Getting the Round of 32 right scores well, but the round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-final and especially the final award far more points. The upshot? The tournament can be decided in the very last matches, so it never pays to give up.
Which score counts: 90 minutes + extra time
In the knockouts there are no draws: if the match is level after 90 minutes, extra time is played (two 15-minute halves). The score that counts for your points is the one at the end of extra time, i.e. 90' + 30'. If you predicted 1–0 and the goal comes in extra time to finish 1–0, it counts as an exact score: what matters is the final result, not the minute it was scored.
💡 If the match is decided on penalties, the score stays as the extra-time draw (for example, 1–1): the shootout decides who advances, but it doesn't change your points. To score, you'd have had to predict that draw.
The goal-difference bonus
An extra reward kicks in during the knockouts: if you get the result and the exact goal difference right, you earn an extra point. For example, you predict 2–1 and the match finishes 3–2: you nailed the winner and the one-goal margin, so you get the bonus point. See the full table in the rules.
Strategy: gamble or play it safe?
- Clear favourite: predicting a narrow win (1–0 or 2–1) is usually the safe bet to at least bank the correct result.
- Even match-up: when two similar teams meet, there's a good chance of penalties. Predicting a draw can be a smart move.
- Exact score: go for it when you have a strong hunch; in the knockouts the exact score is worth a lot and can give you an edge.
Don't give up: the finish matters
Because the final rounds award so many points, even if you're last after the group stage you can come back with a strong run in the quarter-finals, semi-final and final. Keep predicting every match to the very end: that's where groups are decided.