2026 FIFA World Cup RAPID chess tournament ! Tournament has started! Current stage - Group Stage

As the world cup is approaching I am creating this forum tournament . The daily one has been made by Cretaceous so this is the rapid version of it. I have tried to make a tournament earlier in the name of PL 2026 but it didnt quite work out coz people dont seem to like daily much here. But I'll complete this one till the end .

So this one will be a rapid tournament.

48 players play representing 48 countries in 12 groups of 4 and we follow all rules of the wc .

Just a thing regarding colours. The lower rated player plays as white in every game.

The time control is 10 mins rapid.

The teams :

Algeria - @BlunderandPerish
 Argentina - @Ghinole
 Australia - @I_LOVE_ALIEN_STAGE
 Austria - @iqmouse
 Belgium - @Sirquickcheckmate
 Bosnia & and Herzegovina - @chessblackbelt
 Brazil - @Risu-OP
 Canada - @dragonroar400
 Cape Verde - @Pope-of-Bishops
 Colombia - @Daniel_knight8
 Croatia - @Grindto1500elorapid
 Curaçao - @CretaceousCheckmate
 Czech Republic - @toasterknight
 DR Congo - @Ali96r
 Ecuador - @GeckoSoloYT
 Egypt - @herrroyalmajesty
 England - @JohnMathew2019
 France - @neeleshkartha

Germany - @hugotheman2015

Ghana - @Ghost-10009
 Haiti - @Akash_JPG
 Iran - @Jayanta-Pradhan-25
 Iraq - @charan_smaran
 Ivory Coast - @smallpawninabigworld
 Japan - @ProjectionSorcery
 Jordan - @Stong_enough
 Mexico - @RookWorm1
 Morocco - @cheeseblackbelt
 Netherlands - @StrategicBrit
 New Zealand - @The-Cream
 Norway - @samyak_bhalerao24
 Panama - @Herpkidology
 Paraguay - @Prince_At_Outpost
 Portugal - @Mercedes4life
 Qatar - @Iron_Captain
 Saudi Arabia - @Rookmate26
 Scotland - @menodiniente
 Senegal - @GothamBrah
 South Africa - @BigBrother17
 South Korea - @EliotAjibade
 Spain - @lcgl17
 Sweden - @1964GT
 Switzerland - @Humuhumu-Nukunuku-Apuaa
 Tunisia - @Knighty_Naomi
 Turkiye - @HMrPenguin
 Uruguay - @JaredYM2
 USA - @chesswhitebelt
 Uzbekistan - @Dhrubojyoti09

Theme song :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1zAYjyEwdY&list=RDo1zAYjyEwdY&start_radio=1

Pots :

Pot 1 :

Croatia (1389) [HOST] (Host is always pot 1 if you didnt know)

Bosnia and Herzegovina (2130)

Japan (1989)

Austria (1983)

Morocco (1963)

Algeria (1947)

Iran (1942)

Jordan (1912)

Curacao (1852)

Norway (1825)

Paraguay (1796)

Netherlands (1713)

Pot 2 :

Czech Republic (1688)

France (1654)

DR Congo (1627)

Tunisia (1573)

South Africa (1565)

Spain (1529)

Mexico (1484)

Switzerland (1482)

Haiti (1467)

Qatar (1444)

Saudi Arabia (1345)

USA (1334)

Pot 3 :

Ghana (1211)

Scotland (1170)

South Korea (1166)

Germany (1141)

Ivory Coast (1139)

Turkiye (1139)

England (1055)

Iraq (1008)

Belgium (998) 

Cape Verde (952)

Uzbekistan (942)

Canada (933)

Pot 4 :

Uruguay (785)

Brazil (699)

Argentina (693)

New Zealand (688)

Ecuador (624)

Senegal (595)

Portugal (547)

Egypt (526)

Colombia (440)

Sweden (310)

Panama (178)

Australia (100)

The groups !!!

For the pairings name written first plays white and name written second plays black .

Group A
Croatia P - 3,W - 3,D - 0,L - 0,Pts - 9
USA P - 3,W - 2,D - 0,L - 1,Pts - 6
Ghana P - 3,W - 0,D - 0,L - 3,Pts - 0
Uruguay P - 3,W - 1,D - 0,L - 2,Pts - 3

Matchday 1 :

USA vs Croatia

Uruguay vs Ghana
 
Group B
Bosnia and Herzegovina P - 2,W - 1,D - 0,L - 1,Pts - 3
France P - 1,W - 1,D - 0,L - 0,Pts - 3
Scotland P - 2,W - 1,D - 0,L - 1,Pts - 3
Brazil P - 1,W - 0,D - 0,L - 1,Pts - 0

Matchday 1:

France vs Bosnia

Brazil vs Scotland

Group C
Japan P - 3,W - 2,D - 1,L - 0,Pts - 7
Spain P - 2,W - 1,D - 0,L - 1,Pts - 3
South Korea P - 2,W - 1,D - 1,L - 0,Pts - 4
Argentina P - 3,W - 0,D - 0,L - 3,Pts - 0

Matchday 1:

Spain vs Japan

Argentina vs South Korea
 
Group D
Austria P - 2,W - 2,D - 0,L - 0 Pts - 6
Mexico P - 3,W - 1,D - 0,L - 1 Pts - 6
Germany P - 1,W - 0,D - 0,L - 1,Pts - 0
New Zealand P - 2,W - 0,D - 0,L - 2,Pts - 0

Matchday 1 :

Mexico vs Austria

New Zealand vs Germany
 
Group E
Morocco P - 3,W - 3,D - 0,L - 0,Pts - 9
Switzerland P - 3,W - 2,D - 0,L - 1, Pts - 6
Ivory Coast P - 3,W - 0, D - 0,L - 3,Pts - 0
Ecuador P - 3, W - 1, D - 0,L - 2, Pts - 3

Matchday 1 :

Switzerland vs Morocco

Ecuador vs Ivory Coast
 
Group F
Algeria P - 3,W - 2,D - 1,L - 0,Pts - 7
Tunisia P - 3,W - 1,D - 1,L - 1,Pts - 4
Turkiye P - 3,W - 0,D - 0,L - 3,Pts - 0
Senegal P - 3,W - 0,D - 0,L - 3,Pts - 0

Matchday 1 :

Tunisia vs Algeria

Senegal vs Turkiye
 
Group G
Iran P - 3,W - 3,D - 0,L - 0,Pts - 9
Qatar P - 2,W - 1,D - 0,L - 1,Pts - 3
England P - 3,W - 0,D - 0,L - 3,Pts - 0
Portugal P - 2,W - 1,D - 0,L - 1,Pts - 3

Matchday 1 :

Qatar vs Iran

Portugal vs England
 
Group H
Jordan P - 3,W - 0,D - 0,L - 3,Pts - 0
Saudi Arabia P - 2,W - 2,D - 0,L - 0,Pts - 6
Iraq P - 2, W - 1, D - 0, L - 1, Pts - 3
Egypt P - 1,W - 1,D - 0,L - 0, Pts - 3

Matchday 1 :

Saudi Arabia vs Jordan

Egypt vs Iraq
 
Group I
Curacao P - 3,W - 2,D - 0,L - 1,Pts - 6
Haiti P - 2,W - 2,D - 0,L - 0,Pts - 6
Belgium P - 1,W - 0,D - 0,L - 1,Pts - 0
Colombia P - 2,W - 0,D - 0,L - 2,Pts - 0

Matchday 1 :

Haiti vs Curacao

Colombia vs Belgium
 
Group J
Norway P - 3, W - 3,D - 0,L - 0,Pts - 9
Czech Republic P - 3,W - 2,D - 0,L - 1,Pts - 6
Cape Verde P - 3,W - 1,D - 0,L - 2,Pts - 3
Sweden P - 3 , W - 0 , D - 0,L - 3 , Pts - 0

Czechia vs Norway

Sweden vs Cape Verde
 
Group K
Paraguay P - 3,W - 3,D - 0,L - 0, Pts - 9
DR Congo P - 3,W - 2,D - 0,L - 1, Pts - 6
Uzbekistan P - 3,W - 0,D - 0,L - 3,Pts - 0
Panama P - 3,W - 1,D - 0,L - 2,Pts - 3

Matchday 1 :

DR Congo vs Paraguay

Panama vs Uzbekistan
 
Group L
Netherlands P - 3,W - 2,D - 1,L - 0,Pts - 7
South Africa P - 3,W - 1,D - 1,L - 1,Pts - 4
Canada P -3,W - 1,D - 2,L - 0,Pts - 5
Australia P - 3,W - 0,D - 0,L - 3,Pts - 0

Matchday 1 :

SA vs Netherlands

Australia vs Canada

I am Croatia

Also another thing - Pots will be made seperately here and WC groups will not be followed.

Bro this is the FIFA Wc . The game is chess but the teams are of FIFA WC 2026

Are you playing ? If yes , which country ?

I'll be playing as France ig

*feels the aura

@grindto1500elorapid , I don’t want to join this because I have enough ongoing tournaments already.

(the private chat wouldn’t load so I decided to reply here)

Would you join @ProjectionSorcery ?

shouldnt the higher rated player play black so it would be fair?

i mean like cause white has 0.15+ advantage around*

personal opinion only

#12 i don't mind

besides

https://www.chess.com/club/team-japan

is losing the asian daily chess league

might as well help

Which team @ProjectionSorcery ?

japan!

nippon!

I will join as USA

I will join as Germany

I'll be Germany! (Proud German)

Added all names. Also one more important thing - Pots will be decided by rapid ratings ONLY not any other format

Agonisingly close ! You missed it by a whisker ! Take any other country maybe

When does this start?

This starts once 48 people register .