Plugin Documentation

Complete guide to install, configure, and use Laooz World Cup Predictor on your WordPress site.

5 Minutes Setup

Get your prediction pool running in minutes

No Coding Required

Everything managed through admin panel

Fully Responsive

Works perfectly on all devices

Installation

Method 1: WordPress Admin Panel (Recommended)

1

Download the Plugin

After purchasing, download the laooz-world-cup-predictor.zip file from your purchase confirmation email or CodeCanyon downloads page.

2

Upload via WordPress

Go to your WordPress admin panel:

Navigate to Plugins → Add New
Click "Upload Plugin" button at the top
Click "Choose File" and select the downloaded zip file
Click "Install Now"

3

Activate the Plugin

After installation completes, click "Activate Plugin"

Automatic Setup Complete!

Upon activation, the plugin automatically creates three pages with shortcodes ready to use:

• World Cup Predictions - Main prediction page
• Rankings - Leaderboard page
• My Profile - User statistics page

Method 2: FTP Upload

If you prefer FTP or have file size upload limits:

Unzip the laooz-world-cup-predictor.zip file on your computer
Using FTP client (FileZilla, etc.), upload the laooz-world-cup-predictor folder to /wp-content/plugins/
Go to WordPress admin → Plugins
Find "Laooz World Cup Predictor" and click "Activate"

Server Requirements

• WordPress 5.0 or higher
• PHP 7.4 or higher
• MySQL 5.6 or higher

Initial Setup

After activating the plugin, you'll see a new menu item "WC Predictor" in your WordPress admin sidebar.

1

Configure Timezone Settings

Go to WC Predictor → Settings

Timezone: Select your local timezone (matches will close based on this)
Close Predictions Before Match: Set how many minutes before kickoff predictions should close (default: 15 minutes)

Important: Set this BEFORE importing matches to ensure correct closing times.

2

Import World Cup 2026 Matches

Go to WC Predictor → Import Matches

Select your preferred language: English, Spanish, or Portuguese
Click "Import Matches from JSON"
Wait for the import to complete (imports all 80 World Cup matches)

Tip: You can re-import in a different language later. The plugin will update existing matches instead of creating duplicates.

3

Verify Pages Were Created

Go to WC Predictor → Pages

Verify that these three pages show "Created" status:

World Cup Predictions - where users make predictions
Rankings - leaderboard with top participants
My Profile - user statistics and history

If any page is missing, click "Create/Recreate Pages"

4

Test User Experience

Visit the World Cup Predictions page from your site's frontend and test making a prediction.

Setup Complete! 🎉

Your World Cup prediction pool is now ready for users. Share the links and let the competition begin!

Importing Matches

The plugin includes all 80 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in three languages.

How to Import Matches

1. Navigate to WC Predictor → Import Matches
2.
Select your language from the dropdown:
- • English - Team names in English
- • Spanish - Team names in Spanish
- • Portuguese - Team names in Portuguese
3. Click "Import Matches from JSON" button
4. Wait for the success message confirming all matches were imported

Match Information Included

Match Details

• Home & Away teams (with flags 🇺🇸)
• Match date & time
• Stadium name
• City location
• Phase (Group Stage, Round of 16, etc.)

Tournament Coverage

• 48 Group Stage matches
• 16 Round of 16 matches
• 8 Quarter-final matches
• 4 Semi-final matches
• 2 Third Place & Final

Re-importing Matches

You can safely re-import matches at any time. The plugin uses unique IDs and will update existing matches instead of creating duplicates. User predictions will NOT be affected.

Important Notes

• Changing language will update team names but preserve match data and predictions
• Match dates/times are fixed and cannot be edited via import (edit manually if needed)
• Flags (emojis) are included in team names for visual appeal

Shortcodes Reference

The plugin includes 4 powerful shortcodes to display different prediction features on any page or post.

Upcoming Matches

[polla_partidos_pendientes]

Description: Displays matches available for predictions with an intuitive interface to submit scores.

Parameters:

limite - Number of matches to display (optional, default: all available matches)

Example:

[polla_partidos_pendientes limite="5"]

Features: Shows match date/time, teams, stadium, and prediction form. Automatically hides matches after they close.

My Predictions

[polla_mis_pronosticos]

Description: Shows all predictions made by the currently logged-in user with results and points earned.

Parameters: None

Features: Displays prediction vs actual result, points earned per match, and allows editing predictions before matches close.

Rankings / Leaderboard

[polla_ranking]

Description: Displays the competition leaderboard with participant standings, points, and statistics.

Parameters:

limite - Number of users to show (optional, default: all users)

Examples:

[polla_ranking]           // Shows all users
[polla_ranking limite="10"]  // Shows top 10 only

Features: Includes podium for top 3, total points, predictions made, accuracy percentage, and clickable usernames to view profiles.

When using limite parameter, a "View Full Ranking" button appears automatically.

User Profile

[polla_perfil_usuario]

Description: Shows detailed statistics and prediction history for a user.

Parameters:

user_id - WordPress user ID (optional, default: current logged-in user)

Examples:

[polla_perfil_usuario]              // Current user's profile
[polla_perfil_usuario user_id="5"]   // Specific user profile

Features: Displays total points, predictions made, accuracy rate, ranking position, and complete prediction history with results.

If no user is logged in and no user_id is specified, shows a login prompt.

How to Use Shortcodes

In Pages or Posts:

Edit the page/post where you want to display content
Add a "Shortcode" block (or paste directly in Classic Editor)
Copy and paste any shortcode from above
Publish or update the page

In PHP Templates:

<?php echo do_shortcode('[polla_ranking limite="10"]'); ?>

Plugin Settings

Configure essential plugin settings from WC Predictor → Settings

Timezone Configuration

Timezone

Select your local timezone from the dropdown. This affects when predictions close for each match.

Why This Matters:

Match times are stored in UTC, but your users will see and experience closing times in YOUR selected timezone. Choose the timezone where most of your participants are located.

Example: If you select "America/New_York" and a match starts at 3:00 PM EST, predictions will close at 2:45 PM EST (with default 15-minute anticipation).

Close Predictions Before Match

Set how many minutes before kickoff predictions should close.

Default: 15 minutes
Range: 0 - 120 minutes
Recommended: 10-30 minutes

Common Settings:

• 0 minutes - Predictions close exactly at kickoff
• 15 minutes - Standard setting, prevents last-second changes
• 30 minutes - Conservative, accounts for lineup announcements
• 60 minutes - Prevents lineup-based predictions

Important

Changes to these settings apply immediately to all matches. Users with open predictions will see updated closing times.

Managing Match Results

After each match finishes, enter the final score to calculate points for all participants.

How to Enter Results

1

Navigate to Matches

Go to WC Predictor → Matches (or WordPress → Posts → Matches)

2

Find and Edit the Match

Find the completed match in the list and click "Edit"

3

Enter Final Score

In the "Match Information" meta box on the right, you'll see:

Checkbox: "Match Completed" - Check this
Input: "Home Goals" - Enter home team score
Input: "Away Goals" - Enter away team score

4

Update and Calculate

Click "Update" button. The plugin will automatically:

Calculate points for all user predictions
Update the ranking table
Display results on user profiles

Updating Results

You can edit match results at any time (in case of errors or VAR reviews). Points will be recalculated automatically upon saving.

Important Notes

• Only regular time (90 minutes) counts - do NOT include extra time or penalties
• If a match goes to extra time, use only the 90-minute score
• For knockout stages: Users predict regular time score only
• Leave "Match Completed" unchecked until you have the final result

Bulk Result Entry (Pro Tip)

For faster result entry after multiple matches:

Open matches in multiple browser tabs
Enter results in each tab
Update all matches
Check the ranking page to verify calculations

Points System Explained

The plugin uses an advanced multi-level scoring system to reward accurate predictions.

Exact Score

10

Highest reward. You predict the exact final score.

Example: You predict 2-1, match ends 2-1 → 10 points

Correct Winner

5

Good prediction. You correctly predict which team wins (or draw).

Example: You predict 3-1, match ends 2-0 (both home wins) → 5 points

Correct Goals

3

Partial credit. You predict the correct number of goals for one team.

Example: You predict 2-0, match ends 2-1 (home team 2 is correct) → 3 points

Draw Bonus

4

Special reward. Extra points for correctly predicting a draw (rare outcome).

Example: You predict 1-1, match ends 1-1 → 10 + 4 = 14 points!

Point Calculation Examples

Your Prediction	Actual Result	Points Breakdown	Total
2-1	2-1	Exact Score (10)	10
3-1	2-0	Correct Winner (5)	5
2-0	2-1	Correct Goals Home (3) + Correct Winner (5)	8
1-1	1-1	Exact Score (10) + Draw Bonus (4)	14
2-2	1-1	Correct Winner/Draw (5) + Draw Bonus (4)	9
3-0	0-2	Wrong winner, no points	0

Strategy Tip

The points system rewards both accuracy and smart predictions. Correctly predicting draws can give you a significant advantage due to the bonus points!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do users need to register to make predictions?

Yes. Users must be logged in to WordPress to make predictions. This ensures each participant has a unique account and prevents duplicate predictions. You can enable WordPress user registration or use plugins like "User Registration" for custom sign-up forms.

Can users edit their predictions?

Yes. Users can edit their predictions as many times as they want UNTIL the match closing time (kickoff minus configured minutes). After that, predictions are locked and cannot be changed. This prevents users from changing predictions after seeing lineups or during the match.

Is the plugin translated to other languages?

The plugin is fully translation-ready with text domain laooz-world-cup-predictor. Match data can be imported in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. For complete site translation, use plugins like "Loco Translate" or WPML to translate all plugin strings to your preferred language.

What happens if I delete a match?

If you delete a match, all predictions for that match are also deleted permanently. User statistics and rankings will be recalculated automatically. Be careful - this action cannot be undone. It's better to leave matches unpublished if you don't want them visible.

Is the plugin mobile-friendly?

Yes! The plugin is fully responsive and optimized for mobile devices using Tailwind CSS. Users can make predictions, view rankings, and check their profiles seamlessly on phones, tablets, and desktops.

Can I use this plugin for other tournaments?

While the plugin is designed for World Cup 2026, you can adapt it for other tournaments. You would need to manually create matches (as Custom Posts) or modify the JSON import files. The points system and ranking features work with any matches you create.

Is the plugin secure?

Yes. The plugin uses WordPress nonces for AJAX requests, sanitizes all inputs, validates user permissions, and follows WordPress coding standards. User predictions are stored securely in the database with proper escaping.

How many users can participate?

There's no built-in limit. The plugin can handle hundreds or even thousands of participants, depending on your server resources. For very large competitions (1000+ users), consider using caching plugins for better performance.

Can I export predictions or rankings?

Currently, there's no built-in export feature. However, all data is stored in WordPress database tables. You can use database management tools like phpMyAdmin or plugins like "WP All Export" to export prediction data to CSV/Excel if needed.

Can I charge users to participate?

The plugin doesn't include payment/subscription features. However, you can integrate it with membership plugins like "Paid Memberships Pro" or "MemberPress" to restrict access to paying members only. Create a membership level and protect the prediction pages.

Support & Help

Get Support

Having issues? Our support team is here to help!

• Response within 24 hours (business days)
• 6 months of free support included
• Extended support available for purchase

Open Support Ticket

More Resources

Need Customization?

We offer custom development services to adapt the plugin to your specific needs.

Contact Laooz Studios