From mid-June to mid-July, there was more than just work going on in our office: predictions were made, points were calculated and matches were followed with growing excitement. The occasion was the 2026 FIFA World Cup – and our in-house prediction game.
Strong participation – and some unexpected football enthusiasm
13 of our 24 employees took part in the competition – a participation rate we were certainly pleased with.
It quickly became clear that being an avid football fan was by no means a prerequisite. Even colleagues who would not normally spend 90 minutes in front of the television suddenly developed a remarkable interest in matches that, without a prediction at stake, might otherwise have attracted considerably less attention. After all, while every ball was being fought for on the pitch, every single point had begun to matter in our office as well.
The tournament bracket at the heart of the kitchen
After each round of matches, there was plenty of calculating, comparing and discussing: Who had gained ground? Who had slipped down the table? And who had somehow managed to score maximum points with a prediction that had initially seemed completely far-fetched?
Our continuously updated tournament bracket in the office kitchen helped everyone keep track of what was coming next. The upcoming fixtures were always in view – and rarely has there been quite so much expert debate over whether a 1–1 draw between two teams whose geographical location had been unknown to some only five minutes earlier was really a realistic prediction.
Expertise or simply a lucky guess?
Eventually, our three prediction champions emerged. Whether their place on the podium was primarily the result of genuine football expertise, sophisticated analysis or simply an impressive dose of good fortune remains open to debate.
Alongside fame and glory, the top three also received fitting prizes: each was presented with a shirt from one of the three highest-placed teams at the World Cup – Spain, Argentina and England.
One thing is certain: our prediction game showed that a World Cup is even more enjoyable when experienced together. Some of those who decided not to take part this time have already come to regret it. So by the time Euro 2028 comes around, we expect the field of participants to be larger rather than smaller – and we are already looking forward to the next round.