How to Play — lmsfooty.com
What is Last Man Standing?
Last Man Standing (LMS) is a football pool where you pick one team each round. The rules are simple:
- Each round, you pick one team you think will win
- If your team wins → you survive and move to the next round
- If your team draws or loses → you lose a life
- You can never pick the same team twice in the same competition
- The last player standing wins the prize pot
That's it. No complicated scoring, no leagues tables to track. Just survive each round.
The World Cup 2026
The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026 and features 48 teams across 23 rounds.
| Round | Type | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Matchday 1 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 2 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 3 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 4 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 5 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 6 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 7 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 8 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 9 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 10 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 11 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 12 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 13 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 14 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 15 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 16 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 17 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Matchday 18 | Group stage | 16 matches |
| Round of 32 | Knockout | 16 matches |
| Round of 16 | Knockout | 8 matches |
| Quarter-finals | Knockout | 4 matches |
| Semi-finals | Knockout | 2 matches |
| Final | Knockout | 1 match |
Each matchday in the group stage is its own picking round. You pick once per matchday — not once for the entire group stage. That means 18 separate picks just to get through the group stage, then 5 more in the knockout rounds.
With 48 teams and 23 rounds, you need to plan carefully. By the Final, you'll have used roughly half the available teams — so every pick counts from Matchday 1.
How to Join
Your game manager will give you the bot's WhatsApp number and an invite code.
Option 1 — Join via WhatsApp (recommended)
- Get the bot's WhatsApp number and your invite code from your game manager
- Text:
JOIN {your invite code}e.g. "JOIN OFFICE26" - The bot will ask for your name — just reply with it
- You're in — no website visit needed
Option 2 — Join via website
- Visit the link your game manager shares e.g.
lmsfooty.com/join/OFFICE26 - Enter your name and WhatsApp number
- You're in — check WhatsApp for confirmation
That's the only time you need to interact with the platform. Everything else happens on WhatsApp.
How to Play — Everything via WhatsApp
Once you've joined, forget the website. The game runs entirely through WhatsApp.
Text the bot number (your game manager will share it). The bot is always available — it doesn't sleep, and it responds immediately.
Making Your Pick
When a new round opens, just text the team name:
"Brazil"
The bot will confirm immediately:
✅ Pick confirmed — Matchday 3 You've picked Brazil. Teams used: England, Germany, Brazil Lives remaining: 1 Players still alive: 4 Good luck! Deadline: Fri 20th Jun, 2:00pm.
You can change your pick any time before the deadline — just text change and then text a new team name.
After the deadline your pick is locked. No changes.
If the bot isn't sure which team you meant (e.g. you typed "Braziil"), it'll ask:
🤔 Did you mean Brazil? Reply yes or no.
Reply yes to confirm or no to try a different team.
Commands Reference
| What you want to do | What to text |
|---|---|
| Join a competition | JOIN {invite code} — e.g. JOIN OFFICE26 |
| Pick a team | The team name — e.g. Brazil |
| Confirm a suggested match | yes |
| Reject a suggested match | no |
| Change your current pick | change |
| Check your status | status |
| See all your picks so far | picks |
| See which teams you can still pick | available |
| See the leaderboard | standings |
| Stop affiliate links in messages | NOADS |
| Get help | help |
The No-Repeat Rule
You cannot pick the same team twice in the same competition.
This is the most important rule and it applies for the entire competition — not just one round. If you picked England in Matchday 1, England is gone. Forever. Even if they reach the final.
The bot keeps track for you. When you confirm a pick, it shows you your full list of used teams. You can also text available to see exactly which teams you have left.
Plan ahead. Strong teams are valuable. Using Brazil in Matchday 1 when you could have picked a weaker team and saved Brazil for a knockout round is the kind of decision that wins or loses competitions. With 23 rounds to survive, you can't afford to burn your best teams early.
Deadlines
Each round has a deadline — usually before the first match of that round kicks off.
- Text
statusto see the current deadline - The bot will send you a reminder 1 hour before the deadline if you haven't picked yet
- Miss the deadline = no pick for that round = you lose a life
Make sure WhatsApp notifications are turned on so you don't miss reminders.
Results
After all the matches in a round have finished, the bot sends you a result message. You'll find out:
- Whether your pick was correct
- How many lives you have remaining
- Whether you're still in
In knockout rounds, your pick is judged on the final outcome of the match — including extra time and penalties. If you picked Argentina and they win 4–2 on penalties after a 3–3 draw, your pick is correct.
If you're still in, the next round will open and you can pick again. If you're out... there's always next year.
Tips and Strategy
- Don't waste strong teams early. You might need Brazil in the quarter-finals more than in Matchday 3.
- Check
availablebefore picking — especially in the later rounds when teams are running low. - Text
standingsto see how many players are left. The fewer remaining, the more cautious you should be with your picks. - Upsets happen. The group stage in particular is where big teams get knocked off. Consider picking a stronger team while weaker opponents are still available in early rounds.
- Watch the draw. If England have an easy group game, that might be the right time to use them.
FAQs
Q: What if a knockout match goes to extra time or penalties? A: Your pick is judged on the final result — extra time and penalties included. If your team wins on penalties, your pick is correct. If they lose on penalties, you lose a life.
Q: What if a match is postponed? A: Your pick carries over automatically. You won't be penalised for a postponement.
Q: What if I text the wrong team name?
A: The bot will ask "Did you mean X?" — reply yes or no. If it gets it completely wrong, just say no and try again with a clearer spelling.
Q: Can I be in more than one competition? A: Yes — the bot will ask which competition you're picking for. Your picks are tracked separately for each one.
Q: What if I miss the deadline?
A: You lose a life for that round. Set a reminder, keep notifications on, and text status regularly.
Q: Who do I contact if something goes wrong?
A: Text help to the bot, or contact your game manager directly.
Q: What if two players are left at the end?
A: It depends on your competition settings — your game manager will have set it up as either winner-takes-all or a 70/30 split. Text standings to check how many are left.
Good Luck!
May your picks be correct and your rivals' be wrong. ⚽
— The lmsfooty.com bot
Ready to play?
Start a competition — £20