The 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada is getting closer. In many companies, the question arises: "Are we doing a prediction game again?" The answer is usually "Yes", because hardly anything strengthens team spirit as much as collectively cheering and following the matches.

But the next question is the decisive one: How do we implement it? Is the good old Excel list sufficient, should we use a free online tool, or should we invest in a professional corporate solution?

In this article, we compare the three most common options and show why "free" often ends up being the most expensive in the end.

Option 1: The Classic – The Excel Prediction Round

Everyone knows it: The complex Excel spreadsheet that gets sent around by email and stored on a network drive.

How it works: One employee (often from IT or accounting) creates a table with formulas. Colleagues enter their tips, and after each matchday the administrator has to manually enter the results and resend the table.

  • Advantages:
    • Free (if you ignore working time).
    • Maximum flexibility with the rules.
  • Disadvantages:
    • Enormous time expenditure: Manually entering results and sending updates takes hours.
    • Error-prone: One broken formula can destroy the entire leaderboard.
    • No mobile experience: Nobody likes opening complex Excel tables on their smartphone to quickly submit a tip on the couch in the evening.
    • No community feeling: It's a static file, not an interactive experience.

Conclusion: Excel is okay for 5 colleagues in the same office, but unsuitable for professional companies with 10+ employees.

Option 2: Free Public Portals

There are well-known platforms where you can create prediction rounds for free.

How it works: You register on a public platform, create a round and invite colleagues via link.

  • Advantages:
    • Automatic scoring (no manual effort).
    • Usually available as an app.
  • Disadvantages:
    • Data protection (GDPR): Your employee data is often stored on servers financed by advertising. This is often a "no-go" for compliance departments.
    • Advertising: Your employees see ads for sports betting or other brands – this looks unprofessional.
    • Lack of control: It's not your prediction game. There's no company logo, no corporate colors. The platform operator's brand is front and center, not your employer brand.

Conclusion: Good for the private circle of friends, but potentially unprofessional in a corporate context.

Option 3: Professional Prediction Game Software (SaaS)

These are "White Label" solutions specifically developed for B2B use.

How it works: You rent software for the duration of the World Cup that is fully adapted to your corporate design.

  • Advantages:

    • Automation: Results, points and tables update fully automatically in real time.
    • Branding: Your logo, your colors, your domain. Employees perceive it as your company event.
    • Data protection: Solutions like cupkick are hosted in Germany, ad-free and fully GDPR-compliant.
    • Native apps: Employees can conveniently submit tips via iOS or Android app – with push notifications so no tip is forgotten.

  • Disadvantages:

    • There are one-time costs.

Why software is the most economical solution

At first glance, Excel appears "free". But that's a fallacy.

The calculation: If an HR manager spends just 15 minutes a day during the 4 weeks of the World Cup maintaining the Excel list, answering emails ("I forgot to submit my tip!") and correcting errors, that adds up to over 10 working hours.

The internal personnel costs for this often exceed the license costs of professional software. In addition, with Excel you risk frustration due to errors, while software creates enthusiasm through usability.

Key takeaway: Excel manages numbers. A prediction game software manages emotions.

The best solution for 2026: cupkick

If you decide to go the professional route, cupkick is the first choice for companies in German-speaking countries.

We combine the simplicity of an app with the requirements of companies:

  1. Ready in 10 minutes: No IT projects. Create account, upload logo, done.
  2. White Label: It looks like your own company app.
  3. Security: Hosting in Germany and full GDPR compliance.
  4. Everything included: From user management (e.g. only allow company emails) to prize distribution – everything is well thought out.

Don't spend your time on spreadsheets. Use the 2026 World Cup to bring your team closer together.

Experience the difference yourself – free and without obligation.

Create your own WM prediction game now