BBC Sport has launched a predictor game that turns World Cup fandom into an interactive guessing game, inviting supporters across the globe to forecast the outcome of all 104 matches involving 48 teams. It's a straightforward concept with genuine stakes: pick a winner or a draw for every fixture, submit your predictions, and then watch as the tournament unfolds to see how your football intuition holds up against reality.
What makes this year's World Cup predictor stand out is the introduction of daily streaks. Players earn one streak point for every consecutive round they play, creating a gentle incentive to return to the game throughout the tournament—just as long as you don't skip a round, because missing a prediction resets your streak back to zero. For those who thrive on routine and competition, it's the kind of mechanic that turns casual prediction into a daily habit.
The draw to win official World Cup footballs signed by prominent football figures adds weight to participation. Three balls are up for grabs, each signed by a different lineup of celebrities and former players. The first signed by ex-France defender Gael Clichy, the second by presenter Kelly Cates alongside former England internationals Alan Shearer, Micah Richards, Joe Hart, Wayne Rooney, Ellen White, and Steph Houghton. The prize draws are staggered across three phases of the tournament: one during the group stage, another covering the last 32 and last 16, and a third for the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final. Simply by filling out a form after playing the predictor, fans enter the draw.
For the millions who spend the World Cup debating matches with friends and family, this game offers a platform to test those predictions formally. The rules are deliberately simple—choose a winner or draw, hit submit, and you're locked in. That irreversibility is important: it removes the temptation to second-guess yourself when the team you backed unexpectedly loses, and it adds a layer of genuine decision-making to what might otherwise feel like a throwaway quiz.
The game is accessible across both the BBC Sport website and mobile app, making it easy to slip in a prediction during a lunch break or between matches. Whether you're a casual observer who watches a handful of games or someone glued to every qualifying minute, the predictor meets you where you are. You don't need to predict all 104 matches to participate—though the completionists among us certainly will—and you don't need special football knowledge to enter the prize draw.
What resonates here is the democratization of the World Cup experience. For decades, experts have offered their predictions while fans watched from the sidelines. This game flips that dynamic just enough to make supporters feel like active participants rather than passive consumers. It acknowledges that anyone can have an opinion about who will win, and sometimes those gut feelings land more accurately than you'd expect. Over the course of the tournament, as results roll in and streaks build and fall, the game becomes a lens through which to experience the event itself—a friendly, competitive way to stay engaged with the drama unfolding on the pitch.