Overview
Splash Sports offers several World Cup contest formats for 2026. If you're not sure which one fits your situation, use this guide to find the right match.
Are you running a pool for friends, family, or your office — or playing for yourself?
Running a pool for others (commissioner)? → You want an Entertainment-Only (EO) contest. You create it, invite people, and handle entry fees and payouts yourself outside of Splash. No real-money processing through Splash is required.
Playing for yourself in a real-money contest managed by Splash? → You want the Splash-Managed World Cup Survivor. Splash handles entries, the prize pool, and payouts directly.
Entertainment-Only (Self-Managed) — Best for Groups
Choose this if:
You want to run a pool for your family, friend group, or coworkers
You're collecting entry fees yourself (Venmo, cash, etc.) and will pay out the winner
You want full control over contest settings and rules
You're in a state where real-money DFS isn't available
Formats available:
World Cup Survivor — Pick teams to survive round by round. Supports Group Stage + Knockout Stage, or Knockout Stage Only.
World Cup Bracket — Classic pick'em bracket. Predict Group Stage finishes and/or fill out the full knockout bracket.
Pricing: A service fee is charged to the commissioner based on the number of entries. Up to 10 entries is a flat $20 — perfect for small family pools. See Entertainment-Only: World Cup Contest — Entry Fees & Pricing for the full breakdown.
No geo restrictions — available to commissioners in any state.
Splash-Managed World Cup Survivor — Best for Playing in a Real-Money Contest
Choose this if:
You want to enter a real-money contest without being a commissioner
You want Splash to handle the prize pool and payouts
You're in a state where DFS real-money contests are legal
How it works: Pay your entry fee directly through Splash. Survive the Group Stage and Knockout Stage rounds to win the prize pool. Splash manages everything — you just pick and play.
Requires: A verified Splash account and being in a legal DFS state.
See World Cup Survivor: Splash-Managed Contest — How It Works for full details.
Quick Reference
| Entertainment-Only | Splash-Managed |
Who manages it? | You (commissioner) | Splash Sports |
Money through Splash? | No — you collect/pay out | Yes |
Geo restrictions? | None | Legal DFS states only |
Formats | Survivor, Bracket | Survivor only |
Verification required? | No | Yes (KYC) |
Best for | Friend/family pools | Playing individually |
Still not sure? Email support@splashsports.com and we'll point you in the right direction.