How does a World Cup sweepstake work?

Everyone pays an equal entry, then each person is randomly assigned a team (or teams). Your team's run in the tournament decides your result, and the winner is usually whoever drew the eventual champions. With Fanzone, all 48 teams are drawn at random and shared out evenly across however many people enter.

How many teams are in a 2026 World Cup sweepstake?

48, up from 32 in previous tournaments. With 48 entrants everyone gets one team; with fewer, people get more than one; with more than 48, the extra entrants share or sit out. Fanzone deals them out as evenly as possible for whatever number you have.

Is a World Cup sweepstake gambling?

A simple office sweepstake where everyone pays the same and the pot is shared is generally treated as low-key social fun rather than commercial gambling, but rules vary by country and workplace. Fanzone never handles any money. Entry fees and prizes are arranged between you and your group.

How do you pick teams fairly?

Use a genuinely random draw so no one can cherry-pick the favourites. Fanzone shuffles all 48 teams and assigns them at random, then emails or shows everyone what they drew, so it is transparent and nobody runs the draw by hand.

How to Run a World Cup 2026 Sweepstake (Free, 48-Team Draw)

Fanzone · 2 June 2026 · 3 min read

A sweepstake is the easiest way to get everyone invested in the World Cup, even the people who can't name a single player. Each person is randomly drawn a team; last team standing wins the pot. Here's how to run one for World Cup 2026 without spreadsheets, paper slips, or arguments about who picked first.

What you need

A list of people taking part.
A pot (optional): a few quid each, winner takes all, or split for winner/runner-up.
A way to draw all 48 teams at random and share the results.

That last part is where most sweepstakes get fiddly. Fanzone does it in one click, with a shareable link so nobody has to be in the same room.

Create a free sweepstakeDraw all 48 teams at random and share one link. No logins.Start your sweepstake →

Step 1: Create the pool

Give your sweepstake a name (e.g. "The Office World Cup"), optionally set an entry fee and prize note, and you'll get two links: a share link for entrants and a private admin link for you. There's also a short join code so people can hop in without the full link.

Step 2: Get everyone in

Send the share link (or the join code) round. People add their name in seconds, no account needed. You can also add people yourself from the admin page if someone's not online.

Step 3: Run the draw

Once everyone's in, hit the draw. You can do an instant draw, or (and this is the fun bit) a live draw that everyone watches unfold together in sync, with the favourites revealed last. Each person is dealt a team (or two, if you've more teams than people).

Step 4: Follow it through the tournament

As results come in, eliminated teams drop off and the last person with a team still in the tournament wins. Fanzone tracks who's still standing automatically.

Tips for a great sweepstake

Decide the prize split up front. Winner-takes-all is simplest, but paying out the runner-up keeps more people interested late on.
Use the live draw for the reveal. It's the best bit and gets everyone talking.
More people than teams? Set "teams per person" so the draw deals evenly.

That's it: a fair, fun sweepstake in about two minutes.

Run yours nowFree, no login, ready in two minutes.Create a sweepstake →

Frequently asked questions

How does a World Cup sweepstake work?: Everyone pays an equal entry, then each person is randomly assigned a team (or teams). Your team's run in the tournament decides your result, and the winner is usually whoever drew the eventual champions. With Fanzone, all 48 teams are drawn at random and shared out evenly across however many people enter.
How many teams are in a 2026 World Cup sweepstake?: 48, up from 32 in previous tournaments. With 48 entrants everyone gets one team; with fewer, people get more than one; with more than 48, the extra entrants share or sit out. Fanzone deals them out as evenly as possible for whatever number you have.
Is a World Cup sweepstake gambling?: A simple office sweepstake where everyone pays the same and the pot is shared is generally treated as low-key social fun rather than commercial gambling, but rules vary by country and workplace. Fanzone never handles any money. Entry fees and prizes are arranged between you and your group.
How do you pick teams fairly?: Use a genuinely random draw so no one can cherry-pick the favourites. Fanzone shuffles all 48 teams and assigns them at random, then emails or shows everyone what they drew, so it is transparent and nobody runs the draw by hand.