Website last updated: 2026-04-28
Two possible variants
Two different betting systems are possible. They differ in the KO phase.
Both betting systems can be divided into several phases, for example first group phase, then round of 32 and then the rest.
Variant 1
In the first system (worksheet 'Predictions_1'), no match results are predicted in the KO phase, only the teams that qualify for the next round or win the final.
In the group phase you get points for:
- Won/Draw/Loss correctly predicted
- Correct goal difference
- Exact match result
- Optional: Good approximation for scores with many goals
In the KO phase you get points for:
- Correct teams in the round of 32
One point for each team that qualified; the order doesn't matter. - Correct teams in the round of 16
- Correct teams in quarter-finals
- Correct teams in semi-finals
- Correct teams in the final
- Correct winner in the 3rd place match
- Correct winner in the final
The weighting factors for the different categories can be chosen arbitrarily.
Variant 2
In the second system (worksheet 'Predictions_2') you predict all match results. From the round of 16 onwards the match results plus participating teams are predicted.
To predict the results of the round of 32, one must wait until the end of the group stage so that the pairings for the round of 32 are determined.
In the event of a penalty shoot-out, the match result after 120 minutes is predicted.
Exception: In the final and in the game for third place, the full match result (including penalty shoot-outs) is predicted.
In all matches you get points for:
- Won/Draw/Loss correctly predicted
- Correct goal difference
- Exact match result
- Optional: Good approximation for scores with many goals
In the round of 16, the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and the final you get additional points for correct teams.
In the round of 16, the quarter-finals and the semi-finals the order of the matches is arbitrary.
The same applies to the order of the two teams involved.
Settings
The weighting factors for the individual categories and other default settings can be selected on the 'PrSettings' worksheet. More information on this worksheet.
Ranking list
The worksheets 'Predictions_ranking_1' and 'Predictions_ranking_2' show the ranking list of all participants with the total number of points achieved.
Additional helper files
NEW (from 27.04.2026): Instead of 4 helper files, only one!
To send predictions via email, take a copy of the Excel schedule, enter your predicted results on the 'World Cup' worksheet and send the schedule via email.
The file size of this copy can be greatly reduced by deleting the worksheets that are not needed for this purpose:
- Predictions_1
- Predictions_2
- Predictions_Ranking_1
- Predictions_Ranking_2
- PrSettings
- HeadToHeadComp
- Help
A "tip sheet" simplified in this way can be downloaded here:
Download tip sheet (John.xlsx, 450 kB)
The name "John" is replaced with the user's own name. The filename of this tip sheet (without the .xlsx extension) will automatically be used as the name of the person making the bet.
A betting organizer tasked with collecting the predictions of multiple participants and transferring them to a designated Excel spreadsheet for evaluation no longer needs to do this laboriously by hand. This task is handled by a helper file named PredictionsTransfer_2026_en.xlsm (75 kB).
It can be downloaded here:
Download helper file (PredictionsTransfer_2026_en.xlsm - last updated: 28.04.2026)
The latest version (from April 28, 2026) also runs with Microsoft Excel for Mac.
In this Excel file, you can choose whether the entered results should be transferred to the worksheet "Predictions_1" (variant 1) or to the worksheet "Predictions_2" (variant 2):
The automatic transfer of the predictions can be done in different steps:
- Transfer from 1st round of group stage (i.e. all predictions)
- Transfer from the 2nd round of the group stage
- Transfer from the 3rd round of the group stage
- Transfer from the round of 32
- Transfer from the round of 16
- Transfer from the quarterfinals
- Transfer from the semifinals
- Transfer of the finals only
In this way, new prediction results can be added step by step without overwriting the existing ones.
Important note regarding variant 2
Using option 2, only the results of the group stage matches are initially predicted and sent to the betting organizer. After the group stage has ended, the predicted results are replaced with the actual results, so that the pairings for the round of 32 are displayed correctly.
You can now predict the results of the round of 32 (and any further knockout rounds), enter them on the prediction sheet, and send it to the betting organizer. The betting organizer will then use the file "PredictionsTransfer_en.xlsm" to transfer all predictions from the round of 32 onwards, so that the group stage predictions remain unchanged.
Possible sources of error
- The same language must be set for both the submitted tip sheets and the master file into which the betting results are imported!
- The worksheets "World Cup" and "Language" must not be renamed in the master file!
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