- BGG rating
- 7.8
The World Cup Game: Expansion Set 1
- 3–8 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2007
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,174
- BGG rating
- 7.1
The World Cup Game
2006
Rules assistance for The World Cup Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–16 players
- 180 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
Rules assistant for The World Cup Game
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The World Cup Game is a board game released in 2006 for 3–16 players, 180 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Shaun Derrick and its main mechanics are Tile Placement.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 7.6
The World Cup Game: Expansion Set 2
- 3–16 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2007
- BGG rating
- 7.7
The World Cup Game: Expansion Set 3
- 3–12 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2008
- BGG rating
- 7.7
The World Cup Game: Expansion Set 4
- 2–12 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2008
- BGG rating
- 7.8
The World Cup Game: Expansion Set 5
- 3–16 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2009
- BGG rating
- 7.6
The World Cup Game: Expansion Set 6
- 3–16 players
- 45 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2010
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About the game
The World Cup Game is a football (soccer) game that is like no other soccer game. This is the first of its kind that closely resembles the current genre of German-style boardgames that have become so popular in recent years. It is not a quiz game and it is not a single match style soccer game, but it covers two complete tournaments - the 1930 tournament in Uruguay and the 2002 tournament in Korea and Japan. Two games in one box. The 1930 game takes around an hour to play, while the 2002 game takes around 3 hours to play. The box is weighty, coming in at just under 2kg, so you get a lot for your money. The components are 2 large boards, 74 National flag tiles, 182 Action tiles, 87 Action cards, 36 Plastic footballs, 4 'blob'dice, 3 score sheets, a rulebook and the box! Expanded by: The World Cup Game - Expansion 1 (contains World Cups of 1958, 1962 and 1966, and a sheet of all flags needed for the expansions) The World Cup Game - Expansion 2 (contains World Cups of 1934, 1938 and 2006) The World Cup Game - Expansion 3 (contains World Cups of 1950, 1986 and 1990 and Euro 2008) The World Cup Game - Expansion 4 (contains World Cups of 1974, 1978, 1982 and 1994) The World Cup Game - Expansion 5 (contains World Cups of 1954, 1970 and 1998) The World Cup Game - Expansion 6 (Contains World Cup of 2010 and the new expansion card set) Cardgame version: The World Cup Card Game 2010
Questions and answers
The World Cup Game supports 3–16 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for The World Cup Game is 180 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists The World Cup Game for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
The World Cup Game has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
The World Cup Game belongs to these categories: Sports. Its main mechanics are Tile Placement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of The World Cup Game are: Shaun Derrick. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists The World Cup Game as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.