FAQ & Rules

It's a football prediction game for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. You predict the final score of each match and pick one ZINGO Zone player, a player you expect to score or assist from the 70^th minute onwards. Bonus points are stacked on top if your pick delivers in the last 20 minutes (or in extra time / shootouts).

On top of that you get 3 ⚡ ZINGO Boosts (one per stage pool), three 🔥 live streak counters on your home page, a 🤖 ZINGO AI prediction you can try to beat on every match, a 📊 public match pulse showing what everyone's predicting, and a 🌙 daily email recap with yesterday's winners, biggest climber and the shock result.

Any goal or assist a player records from minute 70 onwards. That includes:

• Normal time after 70:00, including stoppage time
• Extra time (90–120 + stoppage)
• Penalty shootout goals (counts for POTT, see below)

Goals or assists before the 70^th minute do not earn ZINGO Zone bonus points (they still count toward the actual match scoreline though).

Outcome	Points
Correct exact 0-0 (group stage only)	8
Correct exact score (any other scoreline, all stages)	5
Correct result only (win/draw direction)	3
ZINGO Zone goal (Forward)	4
ZINGO Zone goal (Midfielder)	5
ZINGO Zone goal (Defender or GK)	6
ZINGO Zone assist (Forward)	2
ZINGO Zone assist (Midfielder)	3
ZINGO Zone assist (Defender or GK)	4
🏆 Predict-the-Winner, your pick wins the World Cup	10
🏆 Predict-the-Winner, your pick is runner-up	6
🏆 Predict-the-Winner, your pick takes 3rd place	3
⚡ POTT, your pick tops the ZZ leaderboard	10
⚡ POTT, your pick is 2nd on the ZZ leaderboard	6
⚡ POTT, your pick is 3rd on the ZZ leaderboard	3

You don't get both 5 + 3 for a correct exact score, the exact-score award replaces the correct-result one. 0-0 in the group stage pays 8 (not 5) because there's no ZZ window goal to stack on top. In knockout rounds 0-0 reverts to 5 — extra time and penalty shootouts mean a ZINGO Zone goal or assist is still possible (and you still pick a ZZ player). Only one ZINGO Zone event is counted per player per match — if your pick scores twice, or scores and assists, you only collect points for the single best contribution.

ZINGO Boosts are your double-points plays. You get 3 across the tournament and can activate one before kick-off on selected matches:

• 1 Boost for the group stage
• 1 Boost for the Round of 32 + Round of 16
• 1 Boost for the QF, SF, 3rd-place play-off & Final

On any match's predict page, tick Use my ZINGO Boost to activate it. Every point you score from that prediction (correct result, exact score, ZINGO Zone goals/assists) is doubled. You can move the Boost to a different match in the same pool any time before 45 minutes before kick-off; after that, it's locked on whichever match it's currently on.

Strategy: save the Boost for a match you're confident about (a likely correct exact score, or a ZINGO Zone pick you're sure about). One Boost per pool, choose wisely.

45 minutes before kick-off of each match. This is enforced on the server (not your browser clock), so there's no way to sneak in a late one. Up until lockout you can change your prediction as many times as you like.

ZINGO AI is our in-house prediction model. For every match it produces an official call (a scoreline and a ZINGO Zone player pick) that you can try to out-predict.

When does it drop? ZINGO AI's call is released 24 hours before kick-off. Before that, the predict page shows a "still analysing" placeholder. From T-24h onwards the prediction is locked in and visible to everyone (same call for all players).

What does it weigh? Each team's last 3 competitive matches: xG for and against, goals for/against, average possession, plus a head-to-head strength delta and a recent-form tilt. The card on the predict page shows you the form snapshot ZINGO AI used, so you can see why it called the match the way it did.

How do I beat it? Submit a prediction that beats ZINGO AI's points haul on the same match. After full time you'll see whether ZINGO AI nailed it (exact score / right result / missed it) right beside your own line. Useful for trash talk in your mini-league chat.

Three live counters that reset the moment you slip up:

• 🎯 Predictions streak, how many completed matches in a row you've actually submitted a prediction for. Skip one and it resets to zero.
• ✅ Results streak, consecutive completed matches where you got the result direction right (home win / draw / away win).
• ⭐ Perfect-scores streak, consecutive completed matches where you nailed the exact final score.

The card only appears once at least one of the three streaks is non-zero, so it stays out of the way until you've earned it. Even if you're out of the prize race, you've still got a streak to protect.

On every match's predict page, below the form you'll see two public aggregate cards:

• 📊 What everyone's predicting, % of users predicting home win / draw / away win, plus the most-called exact scoreline.
• ⚡ Most picked late-game hero, the top 5 most-picked ZINGO Zone players for that match, with team flag and share of the field.

Both are aggregate-only, no individual user names, scores or picks are ever exposed. The pulse needs at least 1 prediction to appear; the late-game hero card needs at least 3 ZZ picks.

One short email per matchday, sent around 21:00 UTC the evening of any day where matches completed. It's purely the day's story, no marketing fluff:

• 🏆 Yesterday's winners, the top 3 point-scorers for the day, gold/silver/bronze.
• 📈 Biggest climber, the strongest yesterday performer who isn't already in the all-time top 10. New faces get their moment.
• ⚡ Best ZINGO Zone pick, the player who delivered the most ZZ points for whoever picked them, and how many picked them.
• 🎯 Most-called exact score, the scoreline the most users got dead right.
• 😱 Shock result, the match where the smallest share of predictions got the direction right.

You can turn it off any time from your profile. Same opt-out as the match reminders.

One tournament-wide pick. You choose a single player you think will rack up the most ZINGO Zone contributions (goals + assists from 70:00 onwards) across the entire World Cup. Extra time and penalty shootout goals all count.

Scoring — bonus points are added to your overall score:

• 12 pts — your pick tops the ZINGO Zone leaderboard
• 6 pts — your pick finishes 2nd
• 3 pts — your pick finishes 3rd

Tie rule. If two or more players are tied in the same position, every picker of those players gets the points for that position, and the next position is skipped by the size of the tie.

• 2 tied at the top → both pickers get 12, the next player drops to 3rd and gets 3. Nobody gets 6.
• 3 tied at the top → all pickers get 12, the next player drops to 4th and gets 0.
• 1 top + 2 tied for 2nd → top gets 12, both tied pickers get 6, the next player drops to 4th and gets 0.

You'll be prompted to choose when you sign up; if you skip, we'll remind you each time you log in until 45 minutes before the first match kicks off. Up until lockout you can change your pick freely.

Yes, you can create up to 3 mini-leagues and join any number of leagues other people invite you to. Each league has a 6-character code. Share the code and your mates can join with their own team name.

League owners can delete the league at any time (which removes it for everyone). Members can leave at any time.

Best Mini-League Creator prize: €250 + FIFA merch + ZINGO Assortment. The creator of the league with the highest combined points of its top 10 players wins. Build the strongest crew, take home the prize.

On the Leagues page, every league card has a green Share ↗ button. On a phone it opens your native share sheet (Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Messages, or anything else you have installed). On desktop you'll get a WhatsApp link + copy buttons.

The share message includes a one-tap join link. When a mate clicks it the join form auto-fills with the code.

Pick the team you think will lift the trophy at WC26. You'll be prompted to choose when you sign up; if you skip, we'll remind you each time you log in until 45 minutes before the first match kicks off. Up until lockout you can change your pick freely; after lockout it's permanent.

Scoring, bonus points are added to your overall score:

• 12 pts, your pick wins the tournament
• 6 pts, your pick is the runner-up (loses the final)
• 3 pts, your pick reaches the semi-finals (loses an SF)

If you skip and never get round to picking before the lockout, no Predict-the-Winner points are available to you for this tournament, but your prediction game keeps running as normal.

Every WC team has a public Fanbase Leaderboard based on the team you choose to support. It's ranked by average score across all supporters of that team.

Joining a Fanbase League is free and automatic. Pick your team on the Leagues or Leaderboards page before lockout.

🔓 Cash prizes activate in tiers as the game grows (verified = signup that confirms email). €150 prizes + ZINGO Zone are already active. €200 unlocks at 200 verified · €250 prizes at 250 · €1,000 main + Zayu™ trophy at 1,000. Mini-League €250 also needs 20 mini-leagues of 10+ players. Non-cash prizes (FIFA merch, Zayu™ trophy, ZINGO Assortment) are awarded regardless.

Yes, over €3,000 in cash and prizes across the tournament, plus the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Zayu™ trophy for the Overall Winner. Once each tier's threshold is hit, those prizes are guaranteed:

• Overall Winner, €1,000 cash + FIFA World Cup 2026™ Zayu™ trophy + the official Ballers Assortment + a ZINGO Assortment
• Best Mini-League Creator (top-10 combined points), €250 cash + FIFA World Cup 2026™ mascot + official Ballers Assortment + ZINGO Assortment
• Runner-up, €250 cash + FIFA World Cup 2026™ mascot + official Ballers Assortment + ZINGO Assortment
• Knockout Finals Champion (QF + SF + 3rd + Final combined), €200 cash + FIFA World Cup 2026™ mascot + official Ballers Assortment + ZINGO Assortment
• Knockout R1 & R2 Winner (R32 + Last 16 combined), €150 + FIFA World Cup 2026™ Ballers Series 1 Assortment + ZINGO Assortment
• Group Stage Winner, €150 + FIFA World Cup 2026™ Ballers Series 1 Assortment + ZINGO Assortment
• ZINGO Zone Picks. Team supply of ZINGO (€150 value) + official Ballers Assortment + ZINGO Assortment

You don't have to lead from day one. With a runner-up prize, three stage prizes and a ZINGO Zone prize, there's something to play for right through to the final. A single player can win multiple categories.

When are prizes paid? All winners are paid after the World Cup Final, once final scores and tiebreakers have been applied, one consistent payout across every category. Live standings are visible the whole way through.

See full prize details →

It depends on your age, in tiers:

• Under 13: account creation is not permitted.
• 13-15: you can view the site but can't create an account.
• 16-17: you can create an account, play, and appear on the leaderboard. You're eligible to win, but cash prizes require parent/guardian consent and may be substituted for an equivalent non-cash prize (merch, voucher, trophy) at ZINGO's discretion.
• 18 or over: fully eligible to win prizes.

Plus, to receive a prize, you must be a resident of one of these countries:

🇮🇪 Ireland · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · 🇺🇸 United States · 🇨🇦 Canada · 🇦🇺 Australia · 🇳🇿 New Zealand · 🇪🇸 Spain · 🇫🇷 France

Outside those countries, you can still play and climb the leaderboard, but you're not eligible to win or claim any prize, even if you finish first.

Prize winners must provide proof of age, identity and country of residence before any prize is awarded. The competition is free to enter, no purchase, no stake, not gambling. See full conditions on the Prizes page or in the Terms of Service.

If two or more players finish level on points for a prize, ties are broken in this order:

1. Closest prediction to the minute of the first goal in the World Cup Final.
2. If still tied, closest prediction to the total goals across the 8 knockout-finals matches (QF + SF + 3rd + Final, including penalty shootouts).
3. If still tied, the earliest valid tiebreaker entry wins.

If two players are equally close on a tiebreaker, we move to the next one. The tiebreaker form is open in the windows between matches for anyone who hasn't submitted yet, and locks 45 min before each match. Once you submit, your answers are final the moment the next match kicks off. No editing after that.

Two short predictions, submitted on the ZINGO Zone Player of the Tournament page along with your ZINGO Zone POTT pick. The form is open continuously for unsubmitted users, between every pair of matches, with a 45-min cool-off before each kick-off. Once you submit, your answers lock the moment the next match begins (so an early submitter doesn't have an unfair advantage over a late joiner editing as info comes in).

1. Minute of the first goal in the World Cup Final. Dropdown lets you pick any minute from 1' through 120'+5, or "PENS" if the Final is decided on penalty shootout.
2. Total goals across the 8 knockout-finals matches (Quarter-Finals + Semi-Finals + 3rd-place + Final, including penalty-shootout goals).

Closest answer wins. If still tied: earliest valid entry into the tiebreaker submission wins.

Your display name (used on the global leaderboard) is editable on the Profile page. Your team name in a league is set when you join that league; to change it, re-join with the same code and your new team name (it'll just update).

Go to Profile → "Danger zone" → "Delete my account". This permanently wipes your predictions, POTT pick, and league memberships. Leagues you own are deleted for everyone. The action cannot be undone.

Yes. Passwords are stored hashed (we never see them). Account data lives on Supabase (EU, Ireland region). We don't use behavioural tracking or advertising cookies. Full detail in our Privacy Policy.

Email info@zingo.buzz and we'll come back to you. Mention what you were doing and which match (if relevant) so we can spot it.