How the whole thing works
It happens in two parts — here’s where we are right now.
FridgeSheets started on my own refrigerator. I wanted to get my family excited about the World Cup — a simple way to pull everyone in, even the ones who’d never watched a match. So I printed out the groups, taped them up, and left a pen nearby. Pretty soon the kids were filling in scores, picking favorites, and asking when the next game was on. It worked so well that I figured other families might love it too. That’s really all this is: a fun, low-key way to get the whole family — kids and grown-ups alike — into the world’s biggest tournament together. So print it out, tape it to your fridge, and see what happens.
The World Cup, explained for the rest of us
The World Cup only happens once every four years — so when it rolls around, it’s a really big deal. And here’s something a lot of people don’t realize: there are 211 national teams in the world, and only 48 of them make it to the World Cup. That’s 48 spots for the whole planet.
To earn a spot, teams spend a couple of years playing qualifying matches against the other countries near them — Europe plays Europe, Africa plays Africa, and so on. Win enough of those, and you’re in. (The three host countries — the USA, Canada, and Mexico — get in automatically, since they’re hosting.)
For the 48 teams who make it, the real fun begins. The World Cup starts with what’s called the Group Stage. They divide all 48 countries into 12 smaller groups of 4 countries each — just by drawing names out of a hat. Think of it like being seated at a table at a dinner party. You didn’t choose who’s at your table, but those are the people you’re with for now.
Every country then plays a short mini-tournament against just the other three countries at their table.
- Win = 3 points
- Tie = 1 point each
- Loss = nothing
After everyone at the table has played each other, the two countries with the most points move on to the next round. This year there’s also a little bonus — the 8 best third-place finishers across all 12 tables also get to move on, so 32 countries total advance.
The Group Stage — all the mini-tournaments at all 12 tables — takes 17 days and wraps up by June 27th.
After that, it becomes a straight bracket, just like the tennis at Wimbledon. You win, you move on. You lose, you go home. It goes round by round until only two countries are left, and they play the Final on July 19th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.