World Cup 2026 · 11 June – 19 July

How the HLA World Cup League works

A friendly walk-through of the rules, the scoring and how to give yourself the best chance of lifting the trophy in your firm — and across the whole league.

Back
Step 1

Getting started

Sign up with your work email and you're in.

The home page is open to everyone — anyone can browse it and hit Sign up to join. Create an account with your first name, last name, work email and pick your law firm / company from the list. You'll receive a confirmation email — click the link to activate your account.

Sign up screen
First name
Jamie
Last name
Walker
Law firm / Company
Hamiltons & Co
Email
jamie@yourfirm.co.uk
New password
••••••••
Confirm password
••••••••
Create account
Step 2

Building your squad

£100m budget, 15 players, max 3 from any one nation.

Head to My Squad to assemble your team. You have a £100m budget to spend on 15 players in total:

  • 2 Goalkeepers
  • 5 Defenders
  • 5 Midfielders
  • 3 Forwards

You can pick a maximum of 3 players from any single nation. Each gameweek you'll choose 11 starters and 4 substitutes — your bench order decides who comes on if a starter doesn't play.

My Squad preview
Mbappé
Bellingham
Foden
Saka
Rodri
Pedri
Musiala
Saliba
Hernández
Hakimi
Walker
Donnarumma
Step 3

Captain & chips

One captain, one vice — and two big game-changing chips.

Pick a captain each gameweek — they score double points. Your vice-captain takes the armband automatically if your captain doesn't play.

Triple Captain

Your captain scores TRIPLE points instead of double. Use it once across the whole tournament.

Wildcard

Make unlimited free transfers in one gameweek — no points hits. Available once.

Tip: most managers save the Wildcard for the knockout rounds when squads can change dramatically.

Step 4

Transfers & prices

Two free transfers per gameweek. Unused ones carry over up to 5 max. Extras cost 4 points each.

You get 2 free transfers per gameweek. Any you don't use carry over to the next gameweek, up to a maximum of 5 free transfers. Any transfer beyond your free allowance costs 4 points (a "hit"). Player prices rise and fall based on form and ownership, so a well-timed transfer can also build squad value.

Transfers page
OUTK. Mbappé
INJ. Bellingham
Free
OUTV. van Dijk
INW. Saliba
−4 pts
Step 5

Scoring

Goals, assists, clean sheets and bonus points.

Players earn points for what they do on the pitch — and lose them for the things you don't want to see. Here's the headline table:

ActionPoints
Playing 1–59 minutes+1
Playing 60+ minutes+2
Goal scored+6 / +5 / +4
Assist+3
Clean sheet+4 / +1
Penalty save+5
3 shots saved+1
Every 2 goals conceded−1
Yellow card−1
Red card−3
Penalty miss−2
Own goal−2
Step 6

Leagues & prizes

Play against your firm, against everyone, and in private mini-leagues.

You're automatically entered into three leagues:

Overall

Every manager in the HLA league competing for the main trophy.

Your firm

Just colleagues from your law firm / company — bragging rights are on the line.

Private leagues

Create or join mini-leagues with friends using a share code.

Overall Winner Prize

4 Hampden Hospitality tickets

The manager who finishes 1st in the overall HLA World Cup Fantasy Football League will win 4 Hampden Hospitality tickets for Scotland v Switzerland, UEFA Nations League, Tuesday 29 September 2026, kick-off 7.45pm at Hampden Park.

Firm / Company Prize

48 Krispy Kreme doughnuts

The qualifying firm or company with the highest average score at the end of the tournament will win 48 Krispy Kreme doughnuts delivered to their office. To qualify, a firm/company must have at least 3 eligible managers in the league.

Key conditions

Free to enter. Open to UK residents aged 18+. Firm/company prize requires at least 3 eligible managers. Travel, accommodation, parking and personal spending are not included. Prizes are non-transferable with no cash alternative. Winners notified by email within 14 days of the final and must claim within 30 days. Promoter: Hamiltons Law Accountants Limited. Late joiners can still play but will have less chance of winning.

See the full prize details →

Step 7

Deadlines & lockouts

Squads lock when the first match of each gameweek kicks off.

Each gameweek has a deadline — the kick-off of the first match. After that, your team is locked: no transfers, no captain changes, no chip plays until the gameweek finishes.

We'll send a reminder email a few hours before each deadline so you don't forget.

Step 8

The full rule book

Everything in one place — keep this handy.

  1. 01Starting budget: £100m. Squad value can grow with smart transfers.
  2. 02Squad size: 15 players — 2 GK, 5 DEF, 5 MID, 3 FWD.
  3. 03Maximum 3 players from any single nation.
  4. 04Each gameweek: pick 11 starters, a captain and a vice-captain.
  5. 05Captain scores double; vice-captain steps in if the captain doesn't play.
  6. 062 free transfers per gameweek. Unused transfers carry over up to a maximum of 5. Extra transfers cost 4 points each.
  7. 07Chips: 1 Wildcard and 1 Triple Captain across the whole tournament.
  8. 08Player prices change based on form and ownership.
  9. 09Deadline = kick-off of the first match in the gameweek.
  10. 10Disconnected, abandoned or postponed matches follow FIFA's official ruling.
  11. 11Admins may correct scores if FIFA updates a match result.
  12. 12Have fun and play fair — abusive behaviour means removal from the league.
Step 9

Tips from the bench

Small things that separate winners from also-rans.

  • Don't blow your Wildcard in the group stage — knockouts shake up squads.
  • Captain a player whose team has the kindest fixture, not just the biggest name.
  • Check the Prices page mid-week — rising players build your squad value.
  • Bench a starter who's a yellow-card risk if they're one booking from a suspension.
  • Spread risk: avoid stacking too many players from the same match.
  • Set your team early — surprise news (injuries, line-ups) is half the battle.

Ready to play?

Build your squad now — the World Cup kicks off on 11 June 2026.