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The Sun Dream Team fantasy

The Sun’s World Cup fantasy game is not live yet.

Published Dream Team Fantasy rules: 11-player squad, £50m budget, captain and vice-captain, weekly transfers, three boosters and substitutes.

Status: not currently running as a separate World Cup fantasy game Expected timing: ahead of the World Cup / next Dream Team campaign, once The Sun confirms it Published Dream Team rules explain the likely decision style
Games supported FIFA Fantasy The Sun Dream Team Premier League Fantasy
Rules status

The Sun game is not open today.

Current public rules cover Season Fantasy. A separate World Cup game has not opened.

Source checked: Dream Team help centre articles for Fantasy Game and Game Year 2025/26, accessed 1 June 2026.
What the format rewards
  • Reliable starters
    Appearance points, clean sheets, goal involvement and Opta-driven bonus make minutes crucial.
  • Captain timing
    The captain doubles positive or negative points, so the armband needs a strong floor as well as upside.
  • Weekly management
    Transfers, boosters and substitutes mean the best team can change before each deadline.
Dream Team rules summary

Pick 11 players inside budget, then manage the squad every Gameweek.

11-player team, not a 15-player squad. Scoring includes shots on target, big chances created, tackles, Opta bonus and Player Performance Marks.

Squad build

11 players

Choose 11 players from the available pool within a starting budget of £50m.

  • Dynamic formation based on selected players
  • Allowed shapes include 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-5-1, 3-4-3, 3-5-2, 5-4-1 and 5-3-2
  • One Fantasy team per registered Sun/Dream Team account

Captaincy

Double points

Nominate a captain and vice-captain each Gameweek.

  • Captain scores double points in each game he plays
  • Double applies to positive and negative points
  • If the captain does not play, the vice-captain gets double points instead

Deadlines

Gameweek lock

Gameweeks begin 90 minutes before the first eligible match.

  • Team changes and captain choices must be made before the Gameweek deadline
  • Pending changes can be undone before they apply
  • Deadline checks matter more than casual team-news scanning
Point scoring

Dream Team scoring is broader than just goals and clean sheets.

Kickoff Brief tracks players who shoot, create big chances, tackle, complete passes, win fouls and earn Opta bonus — not just famous names with good fixtures.

  • All players
    Goal +6, assist +3, shot on target +1, big chance created +1, tackles +1 per 2, appearance points, yellow -1, red -3, penalty miss -3, own goal -2, bonus +1/+3/+5.
  • Goalkeepers
    Saves +1 per 2 saves, penalty save +3.
  • Goalkeepers and defenders
    Clean sheet +5 if they play at least 60 minutes, then deductions for goals conceded.
Player Performance Marks

Bonus points come from the action profile.

Players can earn 1, 3 or 5 bonus points based on Player Performance Marks. Useful PPM actions include successful dribbles, accurate crosses, interceptions, blocks, fouls won and strong pass-completion rates.

Brief angle: a “good Dream Team pick” is not always the same as a FIFA Fantasy pick. Volume stats and bonus routes matter more here.
Boosters, transfers and substitutes

Transfers, boosters and substitutes are timing calls.

Transfers

2 per Gameweek

The published Season Fantasy rules give every manager two additional transfers each Gameweek.

  • Unused transfers can roll over
  • Maximum rollover is four
  • No manager can have more than six transfers available in a Gameweek

Boosters

3 once each

The published boosters are Goal Bonus, 12th Man and Max Captain.

  • Goal Bonus: goals score 9 points instead of 6, captain goals score 18
  • 12th Man: add an extra player of any value and position, but he cannot be captain
  • Max Captain: your highest-scoring player becomes captain retrospectively

Substitute feature

Up to 5 times

A post-deadline substitute can replace a player who did not appear after his team has completed an eligible match.

  • Maximum one substitute per Gameweek
  • Incoming player must be equal value or cheaper, plus any unspent budget
  • Cannot be used in a Gameweek where a booster has been applied
Kickoff Brief output

What a Sun Dream Team brief includes.

  1. Starter security: who looks nailed, who is minutes-risk, and who is likely benched.
  2. Captain call: safest double-points candidate and the danger of negative-point exposure.
  3. Booster watch: whether the week has enough goal upside, fixture concentration or star certainty to justify a booster.
  4. Transfer priority: which injury, suspension or rotation risk actually deserves a transfer.
Sample Dream Team alert

Use rules, not vibes.

Captain note: keep the armband on a high-involvement attacker unless confirmed lineups introduce minutes risk. In Dream Team, the captain doubles negative points too, so a card-prone defender or half-fit attacker is a bad gamble.

Booster note: hold Goal Bonus unless the fixture set has multiple strong goal routes from players you already own. A flashy name alone is not enough.

Next step

Get Dream Team reminders when the game opens.

Get the first brief Back to FIFA Fantasy