What does your FIFA World Cup bracket look like? Here’s how to fill it out with your predictions

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The FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar is officially underway, with Canada playing its first game on Wednesday, Nov. 23.

Alone or with friends, filling out a bracket with your predictions is a fun way to amp up the excitement while following the tournament.

Make your tournament predictions and follow along with our downloadable PDF bracket, available below.

Download the bracket as a PDF here

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Need an overview of the teams competing? Read our beginner’s guide to Qatar 2022.

How to fill out the World Cup bracket

The first portion of the bracket focuses on the group stage, which runs until Dec. 2. In the group stage, all teams play in groups of four for a chance to move on to the Round of 16. Only the top two teams of each group will be qualified.

In the first page of your bracket, write your score predictions for each match. If you’re filling out the bracket after some of the games have already been played, include actual scores in those boxes and continue your predictions with remaining matches.

Once you’ve filled out the scores in the group stage section of your bracket, identify which teams are in first, second, third, and fourth place of their groups. For this, you just need to count points:

• A win gives a team three points
• A draw gives a team one point
• A loss gives a team zero points

If two teams are tied in points, the one with the higher difference between how many goals they received and scored takes the lead. If teams are still tied after the goal differential, then whoever scored the most goals leads.

Once you’ve identified which teams you’ve ranked first and second in each group, filling out the second page is simple. Put the first country of group A into 1A, the second team of group B into 2B, and so on.

Then, fill out the scores you think the teams will get in each match. One key difference with the group stage: there are no ties in the second leg of the tournament. This means that each match has a clear winner who moves on to the next one, and a loser who gets eliminated.

Read more of our World Cup 2022 coverage:

Seven of the world’s best soccer players to watch in the 2022 World Cup

Qatar is spending billions to ensure the World Cup is a success – and to improve its global reputation

Coach John Herdman knows Canada is the World Cup underdog. He wants you to cheer for the team anyway

How a 73rd-ranked Canada squad set out on a journey to World Cup 2022 – and made it