2026 World Cup Bracket Maker
Build your full 48-team 2026 World Cup bracket. Pick the group winners, fill the Round of 32, and simulate your way to the champion โ with the real draw and the official knockout format.
1 ยท Group stage โ set who finishes where
Tap โฒ to move a team up. Top two of each group qualify; the eight best third-placed teams join them.
2 ยท Best third-placed teams (8 of 12 advance)
Groups still in progress are projected from team strength โ swap any pick as real results land. Once your eight are set, opponents are assigned by FIFA's official Annexย C table.
3 ยท Knockout bracket โ click a team to advance it
How the 2026 World Cup bracket works
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first 48-team edition, hosted across Canada, Mexico and the United States. The 48 teams are split into 12 groups of four (Groups A to L). After the group stage, the top two teams from every group qualify automatically, and the eight best third-placed teams join them โ filling a brand-new Round of 32 for the first time in World Cup history.
That makes the knockout path longer than ever: Round of 32, Round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final โ 104 matches in total. This bracket maker uses the real final-draw groups and the official FIFA Round of 32 pairings, so the bracket you build matches how the tournament is actually structured.
How to use the bracket maker
Start in the group stage: tap the โฒ button to reorder each group until the finishing positions match your prediction. The top two are highlighted in gold and qualify; the third-placed team is marked separately. Next, check the eight best third-placed teams โ we pre-select them from current form, but you can swap any of them in or out.
Then move to the knockout bracket and click a team in any match to send it through to the next round. Keep advancing your picks all the way to the final to crown your champion. Prefer a shortcut? Hit โAuto-simulate to championโ to instantly fill the whole bracket based on team strength and current form, then tweak the upsets you believe in.
Predictor, simulator and printable bracket in one
Use it as a World Cup predictor to lock in your call for who lifts the trophy, as a group-stage simulator to test different qualifying scenarios, or just to understand the new Round of 32 format at a glance. Everything runs in your browser โ no sign-up, no download โ and your champion is one tap away from sharing.
Once you have crowned your winner, take it further: jump into the 7-0 Game and build a dream starting XI good enough to win a World Cup final 7โ0.
Frequently asked questions
How many teams are in the 2026 World Cup bracket?
48 teams, divided into 12 groups of four. The top two of each group plus the eight best third-placed teams โ 32 teams in total โ advance to the new Round of 32 knockout stage.
What is the Round of 32?
It is a brand-new knockout round introduced for the expanded 48-team format. Because more teams qualify, the knockout stage now starts at 32 teams instead of 16, adding an extra round before the Round of 16.
Are these the real 2026 World Cup groups?
Yes. The groups come from the official final draw held in Washington, D.C. on 5 December 2025, and the Round of 32 pairings follow FIFAโs published bracket structure.
How are the third-placed teams assigned in the Round of 32?
FIFA fixes every matchup in advance through Annex C of the competition regulations โ one of 495 pre-defined combinations, depending on which eight of the twelve third-placed teams qualify. This bracket maker uses that exact official table, so once your eight third-placed teams are set, each group winner faces precisely the opponent FIFA assigns.
Is the bracket maker free?
Completely free. There is nothing to install and no account required โ open the page, build your bracket and share your champion.
Love building dream teams?
Try the 38-0 Game โ pick a Premier League era and build a starting XI good enough to go a whole season unbeaten.
Play 38-0 Game โ