<p>FIFA World Cup Fantasy 2026 has launched &#8211; and here&#8217;s our simple how-to-play guide to help you start on a high.</p>
<p>The game went live on Tuesday (May 26) a few weeks before the tournament kicks-off on Thursday, June 11.</p>
<p>It can be found on the FIFA website <a href="https://play.fifa.com/fantasy/team">here</a>.</p>
<p>Keep an eye on the Hub website and app for group previews, expert team reveals and more to help you win your World Cup mini-leagues.</p>
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<h2>How to play FIFA World Cup Fantasy 2026: The basics</h2>
<p>Here&#8217;s the absolute basics of the 2026 World Cup Fantasy game &#8211; listen to an audio summary below:</p>
<audio class="wp-audio-shortcode" id="audio-79592-1" preload="none" style="width: 100%;" controls="controls"><source type="audio/mpeg" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/WC-Fantasy-2026.mp3?_=1" /><a href="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/WC-Fantasy-2026.mp3">https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/WC-Fantasy-2026.mp3</a></audio>
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<ul>
<li>🧑‍💼 Pick a squad of 15 players with an initial $100m budget, rising to $105m in the knockouts</li>
<li>🧢 Select a captain for every round of matches &#8211; they will score double points</li>
<li>🛋️ Substitutions can be made and captain picks changed &#8211; both mid-round</li>
<li>🍟 Five chips, known as &#8216;boosters&#8217;</li>
<li>🔢 Points for goals, assists, clean sheets and more &#8211; including a bonus for differentials who do well</li>
<li>💰 Fixed player prices &#8211; no rises or falls like in FPL</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_50848" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-50848" class="size-full wp-image-50848" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-987938754.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="677" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-987938754.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-987938754-300x198.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-987938754-768x508.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-987938754-610x403.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-50848" class="wp-caption-text">Kylian Mbappe. Picture by Getty Images</p></div>
<h2>FIFA World Cup Fantasy 2026: Scoring points</h2>
<p>There&#8217;s plenty of ways to score points in World Cup Fantasy this year.</p>
<p>The scoring system goes well beyond goals, assists and clean sheets. Your players will earn points for everything from chances created to winning a penalty and tackles, depending on their position.</p>
<p>Here is the full scoring system:</p>
<h3>All players</h3>
<ul>
<li>Appearance (up to 60 minutes): +1</li>
<li>Appearance (60+ mins): +1</li>
<li>Assist: +3</li>
<li>Yellow card: -1</li>
<li>Red card: -2</li>
<li>Own goal: -2</li>
<li>Winning a penalty: +2</li>
<li>Conceding a penalty: -1</li>
</ul>
<h3>Goalkeepers</h3>
<ul>
<li>Clean sheet (60+ mins): +5</li>
<li>First goal conceded: 0</li>
<li>Each additional goal conceded: -1</li>
<li>Goal scored: +9</li>
<li>Penalty save (not including shootouts): +3</li>
<li>Every three saves: +1</li>
</ul>
<h3>Defenders</h3>
<ul>
<li>Clean sheet (60+ mins): +5</li>
<li>First goal conceded: 0</li>
<li>Each additional goal conceded: -1</li>
<li>Goal scored: +7</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="table">Midfielders</h3>
<ul>
<li>Clean sheet (60+ mins): +1</li>
<li>Goal scored: +6</li>
<li>Every three tackles: +1</li>
<li>Every two chances created: +1</li>
</ul>
<h3>Forwards</h3>
<ul>
<li>Goal scored: +5</li>
<li>Every two shots on target: +1</li>
</ul>
<h3>Bonus points</h3>
<ul>
<li>Goal from direct free-kick: +1</li>
<li>Scouting bonus: +2</li>
</ul>
<p>New for 2026, these two types of bonus add even more routes to points.</p>
<p>The scouting bonus rewards differentials. If any of your players score more than four points in a match and are in fewer than 5% of teams, they will earn additional points.</p>
<div id="attachment_51625" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-51625" class="size-full wp-image-51625" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Gakpo-Getty-Images.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Gakpo-Getty-Images.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Gakpo-Getty-Images-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Gakpo-Getty-Images-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Gakpo-Getty-Images-610x407.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-51625" class="wp-caption-text">Cody Gakpo. Picture by Getty Images</p></div>
<h2>What are the World Cup Fantasy boosters?</h2>
<p>There are five chips for this tournament &#8211; known as boosters &#8211; more than was available in 2022.</p>
<p>Only one can be used per round and they can all be deactivated before the deadline if you change your mind, with the exception of the Wildcard.</p>
<p>Here&#8217;s a rundown of the five:</p>
<h3>Wildcard</h3>
<p>Unlimited transfers before the start of a round &#8211; but not available ahead of the group stage or round of 32, with unlimited transfers available in these periods.</p>
<h3>12th Man</h3>
<p>Select one additional player to score points in a single round. They cannot be substituted, captained or transferred.</p>
<p>Any player can be selected providing they are not already in your squad &#8211; and budget and team restrictions don&#8217;t matter in this case.</p>
<h3>Maximum Captain</h3>
<p>Double points from whichever players scores the most in your starting 11 &#8211; no need to make difficult decisions on who gets the armband in the round you use this booster.</p>
<h3>Qualification</h3>
<p>Usable from the round of 32 onwards, it grants +2 points to anyone in your starting 11 who progresses to the next round of the knockouts or wins the final.</p>
<p>The relevant players must play at least one minute in the match.</p>
<h3>Mystery</h3>
<p>To be revealed once round three locks and the round of 32 selection window opens. Can be used for one round of the knockout, including the final.</p>
<p>A pop-up notification on the game screen will provide more details nearer the time.</p>
<p>This will remind FPL players of the Mystery Chip two seasons ago &#8211; although many will be hoping it&#8217;s nothing like the much-criticised Assistant Manager that the mystery turned out to be that season.</p>
<div id="attachment_51222" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-51222" class="size-full wp-image-51222" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Bruno-Fernandes-Portugal.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="679" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Bruno-Fernandes-Portugal.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Bruno-Fernandes-Portugal-300x199.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Bruno-Fernandes-Portugal-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Bruno-Fernandes-Portugal-610x404.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-51222" class="wp-caption-text">Bruno Fernandes. Picture by Getty Images</p></div>
<h2>How does captaincy work in World Cup Fantasy 2026?</h2>
<p>You can set a captain for each round, as well as a vice-captain in case your chosen player doesn&#8217;t play.</p>
<p>But during each round, you can change your captain an unlimited number of times, as long as your new captain has yet to play.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a classic case of stick or twist &#8211; but it could be challenging in some time zones, with some matches as late as 05:00 in the UK.</p>
<p>It makes sense to have players in your squad who will play at different times throughout the round.</p>
<p>This will enable you to maximise the times you can switch if need be.</p>
<h2>How do substitutions work in World Cup Fantasy 2026?</h2>
<p>Similar to swapping captains, you can also manually move players in and out throughout a round.</p>
<p>So if one pick disappointed, you can take them out for a later-playing option from your bench in an attempt to score more points.</p>
<p>If you haven&#8217;t made any manual substitutions, the game will make auto-subs if players in your starting 11 don&#8217;t get on the pitch &#8211; so remember to set your bench in priority order.</p>
<div id="attachment_50905" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-50905" class="size-full wp-image-50905" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Gvardiol-Croatia-World-Cup.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Gvardiol-Croatia-World-Cup.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Gvardiol-Croatia-World-Cup-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Gvardiol-Croatia-World-Cup-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Gvardiol-Croatia-World-Cup-610x407.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-50905" class="wp-caption-text">Josko Gvardiol. Picture by Getty Images</p></div>
<h2>How many transfers can be made per round?</h2>
<p>You can make two free transfers ahead of Matchday 2 and 3 in the group stages.</p>
<p>There are unlimited transfers available to prepare for the round of 32 and four before the round of 16 and quarter-finals.</p>
<p>This increases to five before the semi-finals and six ahead of the final.</p>
<p>Additional transfers will cost -3 points.</p>
<p>You can save a free transfer and carry it through during the group stages but not to the round of 32, given unlimited moves can be made.</p>
<p>Transfers can not be reversed once made, so be careful!</p>
<h2>Is there a maximum number of players per team?</h2>
<p>You can have a maximum of three players from any one country in your team for the group stages and first knockout round.</p>
<p>This increases to four for the round of 16, five for the quarters, six in the semis and eight in the final.</p>
<h2>What formations are valid?</h2>
<p>These are the listed formations for World Cup Fantasy 2026:</p>
<ul>
<li>4-4-2</li>
<li>4-3-3</li>
<li>4-5-1</li>
<li>3-4-3</li>
<li>3-5-2</li>
<li>5-4-1</li>
<li>5-3-2</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_50793" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-50793" class="size-full wp-image-50793" src="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-1426894924.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-1426894924.jpg 1024w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-1426894924-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-1426894924-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.fantasyfootballhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/GettyImages-1426894924-610x407.jpg 610w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-50793" class="wp-caption-text">Vinicius Junior. Picture by Getty Images.</p></div>
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FIFA World Cup Fantasy 2026: How to play guide

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