Sweepstakes kit, you're going to need one, and FourFourTwo has got you covered.
This summer's feast of football is almost among us, as World Cup 2026 gets underway on Thursday 11 June. Hosts Mexico will kick us off when they take on South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City to mark the beginning of six weeks of action that will climax at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford New Jersey on Sunday 19 July.
According to the bookies, France and Spain are the favourites to lift the trophy, but with footballing heavyweights on either side of the draw, expect plenty of twists and turns.
If you can't call it, then what better way to get behind a team than entering a sweepstake with your friends, family or colleagues? Here at FourFourTwo, we've got you covered.
Click on the images below to download a sweepstake kit that you will be able to print off and dish out. The first image has just team names, the second includes each side's rankings and the third will tell you whether you've drawn a favourite, contender, dark horse or rank outsider in case anyone in your sweepstake hasn't been paying attention.
Good luck!
Download here
World Cup 2026 sweepstakes kits: click below to download!
The Odds
Who did you get? (and what chance do you have...)
Compare your chances via the latest odds to win the tournament below:
1- Spain (4/1)
2- France (9/2)
3- England (6/1)
4- Brazil (8/1)
5- Argentina (8/1)
6- Portugal (10/1)
7- Germany (14/1)
8- Netherlands (20/1)
9- Norway (25/1)
10- Belgium (33/1)
11- Colombia (33/1)
12- USA (40/1)
13- Morocco (40/1)
14- Japan (50/1)
15- Uruguay (50/1)
16- Czechia (50/1)
17- Mexico (66/1)
18- Croatia (66/1)
19- Switzerland (66/1)
20- Sweden (66/1)
21- Ecuador (66/1)
22- Senegal (66/1)
23- Turkiye (66/1)
24- Austria (100/1)
25- Ivory Coast (100/1)
26- Denmark (100/1)
27- South Korea (100/1)
28- Egypt (150/1)
29- Canada (150/1)
30- Paraguay (150/1)
31- Australia (200/1)
32- Bosnia and Herzegovina (200/1)
33- Iran (250/1)
34- Scotland (250/1)
35- DR Congo (250/1)
36- Algeria (250/1)
37- Saudi Arabia (300/1)
38- Ghana (300/1)
39- Tunisia (300/1)
40- South Africa (400/1)
41- Panama (400/1)
42- Cape Verde (500/1)
43- Uzbekistan (500/1)
44- Qatar (500/1)
45- Iraq (500/1)
46- Jordan (500/1)
47- Curaçao (1000/1)
48- Haiti (1,000/1)
The Rules
How to do a World Cup sweepstake
A World Cup sweepstake is a classic way to get everyone involved, whether they are die-hard fans or people who don't know what offside means.
This years competition has a record 48-teams competing for the 2026 World Cup, so the maths changes slightly from the old 32-team version, but setup is just as easy.
Here is a step-by-step guide to running one perfectly:
Step 1: Set a Buy-In / Prize Pool
Before you draw teams, decide how much it costs to enter. This creates your total prize pot.
Low Stakes: £2 or £5 per team (good for the workplace).
Medium Stakes: £10 or £20 per team (good for the Whatsapp group and family).
Examples prize pots:
48 teams at £10 each creates a £960 total prize pot.
48 teams at £10 each creates a £480 total prize pot.
48 teams at £5 each creates a £240 total prize pot.
48 teams at £2 each creates a £96 total prize pot.
Step 2: Figure Out the Player Allocation
Because there are 48 nations, you need to adapt based on how many people want to play:
Exactly 24 people? Everyone gets 2 teams.
Exactly 16 people? Everyone gets 3 teams.
Exactly 12 people? Everyone gets 4 teams.
An awkward number of people (e.g., 18 or 30)? Allow people to buy as many individual tickets as they want until all 48 teams are assigned. If you have teams left over at the end, you can pool them together as "The House" (if the House wins, everyone gets their entry money back).
Step 3: The Draw (The Fun Part)
Print out your FourFourTwo sweepstake kit and cut out all 48 team names.
Fold them up and put them into a hat, bowl, or mug.
Have players draw their teams blindly. If you are running it remotely, you can film yourself drawing them or use an online randomiser tool, but doing it live always adds the best drama (especially when someone draws a favourite like Spain or a massive long-shot like New Zealand).
Step 4: Split the Prizes
Don't just give all the money to the person who wins the tournament—spreading the prizes keeps more people interested for longer. A standard 48-team payout structure looks like this:
1st Place (World Cup Winner): 60% of the pot
2nd Place (Runner-up): 25% of the pot
3rd & 4th Place (Losing Semi-Finalists): 5% each of the pot
The Wooden Spoon (The worst team): 5% of the pot (Give this to the team that finishes 48th with the worst goal difference/most goals conceded in the group stage to keep the underdog owners cheering!).
Helpful Tips for the Organiser
Keep a Master Sheet: As soon as a team is drawn, write down the player's name next to that country immediately. People will forget who they drew.
Create a Group Chat: Send out regular updates after the group stages and knockout rounds to stoke the banter, especially when a massive favourite gets knocked out early by a dark horse.
