Splash Sports Announces $3 Million+ in Soccer Contests, Largest Real Money Soccer Contest Ever Ahead of 2026 World Cup

First-of-its-kind two-phase format transforms how fans engage with international play, creating competitive drama across all 64 matches from Group Stage through the Final at MetLife Stadium

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Splash Sports, the leader in skill-based social sports gaming, today announced the launch of its all-new World Cup Soccer Tournament Survivor contest featuring more than $3 million in guaranteed prizes. The lineup includes the $2 Million Standard Entry - the largest guaranteed prize ever offered for a peer-to-peer soccer gaming contest - alongside a $1 Million High Stakes format. These new paid offerings are designed to include both the group stage and the knockout stage in one contest, a first for Splash as it enters International soccer play.

“Every four years we see billions of viewers turn their attention to soccer across six weeks, but until now there hasn't been a contest that captures the excitement of every single match,” said co-CEO TJ Ross. “Splash’s soccer survivor isn't a bracket you fill out once and forget. It's a survivor contest where every group stage upset, every penalty shootout, and every knockout round elimination drastically impacts the leaderboard and the strategy for your picks through the rest of the contest.”

This World Cup Soccer Survivor contest introduces a first-of-its-kind two-phase mechanic:

• Group Stage (before June 11): Select 4 teams to advance to the Round of 32. All 4 must survive for your entry to continue, but you can’t select these teams again in the Knockout Stage. Picks lock at first kickoff.
• Knockout Stage (Round of 32 through Final): Pick teams to win each round. One wrong pick and you're eliminated.
• 12 total picks across 6 rounds: 4 Group Stage + 2 Round of 32 + 2 Round of 16 + 2 Quarterfinals + 1 Semifinal + 1 Final.

Both the $2 Million Standard ($100 entry) and $1 Million High Stakes ($1,000 entry) follow the same rules: each team can only be used once, one life, and the last entry standing wins. The format mimics the Survivor contest offered during March’s College Basketball Tournament, and stimulates engagement with all 64 matches, creating sustained competitive drama from June 11 through the Final at MetLife Stadium on July 19.

Splash will offer global soccer survivor contests at every price point, from $5 to $1,000, ensuring fans can compete at an entry level they're comfortable with.

This year’s iteration of the World Cup tournament will feature 48 teams for the first time across 12 groups while adding a new Round of 32 to the knockout bracket. It's also the first time such matches will be hosted on U.S. soil since 1994, with games taking place across 16 North American locations including New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas.

In addition to this Survivor contest, Splash will offer its DFS game, QuickPicks, for daily tournament matches, allowing fans to make real-time predictions on match outcomes throughout play. Commissioners can also create and run their own free-to-play brackets as well as real money soccer-based contests with custom entry fees, flexible rules, and instant payouts. In addition to the group stage version of Survivor, a knockout Stage Survivor template is available for mid-tournament entry, with flexible windows from June 28 through July 3.

For more information, visit https://splashsports.com/worldcup/survivor

Unlike sportsbooks, Splash Sports does not set odds or take positions against its users - all contests are peer-to-peer, with participants competing against one another.

About Splash Sports

Splash Sports is the leading skill-based social sports gaming platform built for friends and communities to compete for real money. Launched following the acquisition and integration of RunYourPool and OfficeFootballPool, the Splash portfolio has more than 2 million active users across numerous fantasy sports and skill game formats. Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Splash Sports is backed by leading venture capital firms including Dream Ventures, Accomplice, Boston Seed Capital, Acies Investments, and Velvet Sea Ventures. Learn more at www.SplashSports.com or follow @SplashSports on X.