Sweepstake Standings: Where Do You Sit After the Group Stage?

The group stage is over and 16 teams have already packed their bags. If you need a refresher on how the sweepstake works, the full guide is here. But with the knockout rounds beginning, it's worth recapping how the points change from here.

How Points Work From the Round of 32 Onwards

• Each round win is worth more than a group stage win — the points scale up as the tournament progresses
• No points for a draw — only the team that progresses earns the round points
• Extra time goals count towards your goal tally
• Penalty shootout goals do not — only goals scored in 90 or 120 minutes count

Who's Already Out

Sixteen teams have exited the competition, including Panama, Qatar, Uzbekistan and Iran. Notably, the two pairings sitting at the bottom of the sweepstake table are completely eliminated, meaning those entries unfortunately have nothing left to play for.

Having both teams in a pairing still alive is obviously the ideal scenario, but it's worth remembering the red card jeopardy that came with some of the weaker teams. France are the standout example — the highest individual scoring team in the entire sweepstake with 19 points, yet they sit 19th overall because their pairing partner Qatar were rather too fond of an early bath.

The Big Picture

The question now is whether the tournament heavyweights can claw back their early deficits. Portugal, Brazil, France and Spain all have the quality to go deep, but they're already behind. Germany, Netherlands and Argentina have been more consistent and sit towards the top of the table going into the knockouts as genuine contenders in both the tournament and the sweepstake.

Then there's the double-barrel threat. Japan and Canada currently sit at the top of the sweepstake table. Mexico and Algeria are both strong sides and, crucially, both still very much alive. When two live teams in a pairing start firing in the knockout rounds, the points can stack up quickly. More bullets may well mean more damage.

It's all to play for. Keep an eye on the Sweepstake Tracker to follow the standings as the knockout rounds unfold, and if you want to understand how the climate and travel routes could influence which teams go deepest in the tournament, our World Cup 2026 Climate Routes article is worth a look.