Fantasy FIFA World Cup 2026 managers are advised to have a strong squad of 15 players and not just a starting XI with bench fodder.
That’s because the Fantasy FIFA World Cup game allows for manual substitutions, meaning managers can take off underperforming picks and replace them with a player who hasn’t yet played.
HOW TO ORDER YOUR STARTERS + SUBS BENCH
Unlike in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), you shouldn’t start with your strongest XI and your weakest four players on the bench.
Instead, it’s important to have your team playing in chronological order.
We’ve set out our Scout Picks below in such a manner:
A minimum of three midfielders is required, hence why Ryerson is not on the field ahead of Sabitzer.
Subs can only be brought on if their team hasn’t played yet.
WHEN TO MAKE SUBSTITUTIONS
There’s no immediate rush to sub on a player, unless their fixture is imminent.
For example, in our Scout Picks, Ryerson’s fixture is not until June 16, five days after the World Cup begins.
So, it’s important not to ‘knee-jerk’ and sub a player off immediately.
For example, if Vazquez blanks in the opener and scores two points, the temptation would be to immediately substitute him out and bring Ryerson in.
However, if any of the other seven starters playing between Jun 12-15 have even worse games (i.e. score zero or one), then the priority is to sub them off.
In a nutshell: where possible, you want your lowest scorers off the pitch.
If you can, it’s also best to check the teamsheets before bringing a sub on – you can introduce a substitute right until kick-off of their own match.
HOW TO MAKE A SUBSTITUTION
On the ‘My Team’ page, click on a substitute’s name and click ‘Sub In’, which we’ve highlighted below:
You will then be able to select a player to sub out by clicking on them (valid options will have the red down arrow icon next to their names):
