Home Team Academy
Last updated June 7, 2026

World Cup Family Prediction Challenge Rules

These rules are written to keep the challenge simple, family-friendly, and transparent. The challenge is free to enter and designed to help families turn the World Cup into easy soccer fun at home.

1. Sponsor

The sponsor and administrator is Home Team Academy, LLC. For questions, families may contact CoachCorinne@HomeTeamAcademy.com or +1 (805) 222-7442.

2. Eligibility

3. How To Enter

  1. Go to the World Cup Family Prediction Challenge page.
  2. Enter a parent name, mobile number, family/team name, and participant display names.
  3. Choose the Quick Pick Bracket, Full Family Bracket, or optional Fantasy 5 path based on the participant age and preference.
  4. Submit the bracket before the applicable deadline.

The challenge is completely free to enter. There is currently no HTA product purchase, paid membership, or paid entry connected to this challenge.

4. Entry Periods

Full tournament bracket prizes Full Family Bracket entries must be submitted before the United States opener on June 12, 2026 at 6:00 PM Pacific / 9:00 PM Eastern. Late entries may still be accepted for activities or non-bracket prizes.
Quick Pick and family mission prizes Quick Pick prediction entries may stay open until every team has played its first group match, before teams begin their second group matches. Family missions may remain open during the tournament so younger kids and late-joining families can still participate.
Second chance entries Home Team Academy may open a second chance challenge after the group stage with separate scoring and smaller prizes.

5. Bracket Paths

Quick Pick Bracket

Recommended for younger kids. Participants choose one tournament winner and three surprise teams, then receive a kid-friendly printable activity sheet with flag coloring and simple country activities.

Full Family Bracket

Recommended for older kids, teens, and adults. Participants predict group winners, wildcards, knockout round winners, and the tournament champion.

Fantasy 5

Optional family-friendly player-pick path for anyone who wants to follow individual players without a complicated fantasy game. Participants pick 5 players, choose one captain, stay under a 30-point budget, and use no more than 2 players from one country.

6. Prize Categories

Prize details may vary based on winner age, location, family size, available donations, ticket availability, and fulfillment constraints. Prizes are non-transferable and may be substituted with a prize of similar value if needed. The challenge is free to enter.

7. Scoring

Main Bracket scoring:

Quick Pick scoring may include 20 points for the correct champion, 12 points for a correct finalist, 6 points for each correct semifinalist, and bonus recognition for strong surprise-team picks. Second Chance scoring starts fresh after group play and uses its own separate leaderboard.

Fantasy 5: families may build a simple 5-player squad with a 30-point budget, one captain, and no more than 2 players from the same country. Fantasy 5 points may be based on a player's country earning group-stage points for wins or ties, advancing, knockout wins, winning the tournament, player goals, player assists, defender/keeper clean sheets, captain bonus points, and wildcard hero bonuses.

Ties may be broken by correct champion, correct finalist, most correct knockout picks, most correct advancing teams, most family missions completed, or a random drawing among tied families.

8. Winner Selection and Notification

Winners will be determined from eligible entries using the published scoring system or activity challenge criteria. Potential winners will be contacted using the parent mobile number provided at entry. If a potential winner cannot be reached or does not respond within a reasonable time, another winner may be selected.

9. Family Missions

During the tournament, Home Team Academy may share simple family missions inspired by teams, countries, and soccer cultures. Family mission winners may be selected based on completion, creativity, family participation, or a random drawing from eligible submitted missions, depending on the specific mission instructions.

Family missions may include kid drawings, family team chants or songs, goal celebrations, country snack/watch party ideas, backyard skill missions, dream jersey designs, posters, or Coach Corinne's favorite family moment. Parent or guardian submission is required for any uploaded photo, drawing, audio, or video. HTA will ask before reposting child photo/video content publicly.

10. Privacy and Kids

11. SMS Updates

A parent mobile number is required to save and administer the challenge. Texts may include bracket confirmations, deadline reminders, group and leaderboard updates, family mission prompts, and prize notices. After the tournament, HTA may send one participation follow-up with a link for families who want more soccer-at-home activities. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out.

12. General Conditions

Home Team Academy may disqualify entries that are incomplete, fraudulent, abusive, automated, or submitted in violation of these rules. The sponsor may update, suspend, or cancel the challenge if technical problems, tournament schedule changes, fraud, or other events make the challenge unfair or impractical to operate as planned. Void where prohibited.

Source for tournament timing: FIFA lists the FIFA World Cup 2026 schedule from June 11, 2026 through the final on July 19, 2026. See FIFA's official schedule page at fifa.com.

This family prediction challenge is operated by Home Team Academy. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by FIFA, the FIFA World Cup, any tournament organizer, sponsor, federation, or national team.