The 2026 World Cup is almost here (kickoff on June 11), and you already know the deal: a great prediction pool is one where everyone's in. The good news is that setting yours up takes about 2 minutes — no Excel spreadsheets, no one manually tracking everything. Let's go?

What you'll need (spoiler: almost nothing)

Just your phone. Bolão de Futebol is free and works on both Android and iPhone. And you can invite as many people as you want: there's no participant limit — the whole family, the office crew, your college group, the neighborhood, even your ex-brother-in-law all fit in the same group.

Step 1 — Download the app and create your account

Download it from Google Play or the App Store and create your account in seconds. The app has been live since 2018 and has already surpassed 300,000 predictors — it's been tested and proven across three World Cups, not some last-minute app.

Step 2 — Create your pool and set the rules

Tap to create a pool, give it a name, and you're done: you become the admin of the group. And here's one of the best parts of the app — your group, your rules:

And the scoring is smart: picking an underdog can earn you up to 20 points, while correctly predicting an easy favorite gets you just 5. In other words, those brave enough to call an upset are rewarded — and there are also 7 bonus types that stack up over time. (If you prefer, you can leave everything at default and start right away: customizing is an option, not a requirement.)

Step 3 — Invite everyone (in one tap)

Once the pool is created, the app gives you a code in the format COPA-XXXX. Share that code on WhatsApp, Instagram, or the office group — wherever your people already are. Whoever gets it joins with one tap: the link opens directly in the app, no hunting around for anything. That's how pools fill up fast.

Step 4 — Everyone predicts all 104 matches

Now the fun part: making predictions. There are 104 matches in the 2026 World Cup, and everyone submits their picks at their own pace — you can change your mind right up until kickoff of each game. Made it to the knockout rounds? You also predict what happens in extra time and penalties. And if someone in the group is falling behind on their picks, you can send one of 4 friendly nudges to remind them (social pressure, with love).

The 4 competitions happening in your group

This is where Bolão de Futebol goes beyond "predict, rank." Each group runs 4 competitions at the same time:

  1. Overall Ranking — whoever scores the most points across all 104 matches. The classic.
  2. Internal Cup — a knockout tournament among group members, with a group stage, repechage, and final. It's like a World Cup within your World Cup.
  3. Team Competitions — rivalries within the group: Men vs. Women, Management vs. Staff, whatever your creativity comes up with.
  4. Bonus Questions — a quiz: who will be the top scorer? Which team will go the furthest? Whoever gets it right earns extra points.

The result: your group stays buzzing from the first to the last match — even for those who are already far back in the overall ranking.

How much does it cost?

The pool works free forever: creating a group, making predictions, following the live score, and competing in all competitions costs nothing — and there are no ads. For those who want the full experience (rankings updating live during matches, detailed stats, a simulator, and the full Bonus Questions ranking), there's Pro: R$ 7.90 per seat (in packages of 5 to 50) or R$ 18.90 individually. The group owner purchases it and unlocks Pro for their members.

Have questions?

Minimum age, maximum number of participants, how the scoring works in detail? It's all in the Frequently Asked Questions. And if you want to compare with other options on the market, see how Bolão de Futebol compares to other prediction pool apps.

Now it's on you: create the group, share the code on WhatsApp, and let the fun start before the ball even rolls. 🏆