GK goalkeeper · DEF defenders · MID midfield · FWD forwards · subs take any outfielder Official 2026 World Cup squads · no rerolls, chemistry counts · The Ledger Arcade
How to Play
World XI · 2026 World Cup Draft
The Drill
First, roll your formation and head coach. The formation (4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2, 3-4-3 or 5-3-2) sets the shape of your XI; the coach is one of the 48 nations' real managers. Both lock for the game.
Then roll a nation. Every squad that can still fill one of your open spots comes up with equal odds.
No rerolls. You draft one player from whatever nation the dice give you, then roll again. Nations knocked out of the real tournament carry an OUT tag, but their players draft the same.
Fill all thirteen drafted spots: the eleven of your formation, plus two subs. The head coach makes fourteen, and is rolled for you, not drafted.
Every slot takes its own position; the two subs take any outfielder. When the squad is full it grades out of 100 — coach included — and projects a World Cup run.
You cannot draft the same player twice.
What's Scored
Slots are weighted. The striker and keeper carry a small premium, the starting XI counts for far more than the bench, and the head coach adds a modest boost.
Form boost. The tournament's hottest scorers get a lift, marked with a 🔥 flame: +1 to +3 on their rating based on their goals in the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race. Draft the in-form stars and it shows up at the whistle.
Nation chemistry. Teammates click: +1 to your final rating for every extra player drafted from the same nation, capped at +6. The Chem meter tracks it live.
There is no position-fit bonus: a player rates the same wherever they are eligible to play.
Every squad is built from real internationals, so the raw average always runs high. The club rating stretches that band onto a full 40–100 scale, which is why a blind draft bows out in the group and a sharp one can win it.
You can never get stuck: only nations with a player who fits an open spot come out of the hopper.
Modes & the Hall of Fame
Difficulty: Blitz hides ratings while you draft. Rookie marks elite players with a star as you pick. The final score is identical either way; Blitz is simply blind.
The Hall of Fame records Blitz runs on two boards spanning the whole arcade: Today resets at midnight Eastern, All-Time keeps the five best ever, each entry tagged by game. Rookie still plays and scores, but will not post.
World Cup Run
92+World Cup Champions · lifted the trophy88Finalists · beaten in the final85Semifinalists82Quarterfinalists78Round of 1673Round of 3268Group stage · third and agonisingly close<68Group stage · bottom of the group
A blind, random draft usually goes out in the group stage. Knowing which player to take from every nation the dice serve up, and stacking chemistry while you do it, is how you climb to the knockouts and the rare title.
Glossary
GK goalkeeper · DEF defenders, including full-backs and wing-backs · MID midfielders · FWD forwards and wingers.
Formation the shape of your XI, rolled at kickoff. Coach a real 2026 World Cup manager, also rolled at kickoff, who counts toward your rating. Bench two outfield subs who cover any outfield role.
Filled how many of the thirteen drafted spots are set. Draft Drive the meter tracking progress to a full squad.
🔥 Form a live boost for the top scorers in the 2026 Golden Boot race (+1 to +3). OUT eliminated from the real tournament (tag only). Chem +1 per extra same-nation teammate, capped at +6.
Each nation's pool is the best of its official squad; coaches and ratings are an editorial /100 call, hidden until the whistle in Blitz.