CHOOSE YOUR GAME
How will you play?
Run a World Cup tournament or build a player’s career. Choose a mode to get started.
Independent football simulation. No account needed.
World Cup simulator
Choose the teams, draw the groups, then play through to the final. Start with 2026 or create your own 2030 projection.
Player Career
Create a 16-year-old prospect. Choose clubs and training, review each season, and earn a place at the World Cup.
Single matchTry two teams in a standalone game. This does not change your World Cup or career progress.
Single match
Try two teams in a standalone game. This does not change your World Cup or career progress.
Estimated 90-minute probabilities from team Elo. The match includes extra time and penalties when needed.
Explore a different football outcome
The 2026 World Cup has ended. Replay its format, change the teams, enter your own scores and explore how a different group result changes the knockout path. Your simulations are separate from historical results.
The 2030 mode is a projection built from a stored ranking order and regional selection rules. It is not an official list of qualified teams or an official draw. Player Career is a fictional game with its own progression model.
How a tournament simulation works
- Choose your teams and select the 2026 replay or the 2030 projection.
- Use the default groups or make a draw. In Group Ranking, simulate matches or enter scores yourself.
- Review group points and third-place qualifiers, then continue through the knockout bracket to a champion.
Chaos Factor changes how strongly team ratings influence simulated matches. Higher chaos allows more upsets. A single run is one possible story, not a measured forecast.
Read the worked example and controls guide, or inspect the model, data sources and limitations.
Frequently asked questions
Are these official predictions or live scores?
No. Football Sim Lab is an independent fan project. Scores and fictional career events are generated by the game. The optional real-results mode uses a stored dataset, not a live results feed.
Can I save or share a run?
Tournament progress is stored in your browser session and careers are saved locally. Image and PDF exports stay on your device. Creating a share link uploads the selected result so anyone with the link can view it. The privacy policy explains the difference.
Does the model use current squads and injuries?
The tournament engine uses bundled team ratings and game rules. It does not continuously update injuries, lineups, transfers or betting markets. See Methodology before interpreting a result.
From the blog
Read simulation analysis, guides and product updates. Older articles remain available with their publication dates. Time-sensitive 2026 ticketing and travel reports carry a historical notice.