Lineup — eleven countries, eleven players
Every day eleven countries line up and you pick one player from each for the eleven slots of a 4-3-3. The slot comes from the player's position: picking a centre-back uses a centre-back slot, and once a position is full, a country that only has players there is left without a place. Free, no sign-up, in English, Portuguese and Spanish.
How to play Lineup
Lineup is the daily team-building game: every day eleven
countries line up — the same for the whole world — and you field one player
from each into the eleven slots of a 4-3-3. It is free, needs no
sign-up and runs in the browser.
The rules, in 30 seconds
- Check the queue. The eleven countries show up in the order they will be
played, and all of them are visible from the start.
- Name a player from the country up — type and pick a name from the list.
- The slot comes from the position. A centre-back takes a centre-back slot;
a goalkeeper, the only goalkeeper slot.
- Fill all eleven. If the slots left do not fit the countries left, the day
ends right there.
The formation, slot by slot
It is 1 goalkeeper, 2 centre-backs, 2
full-backs, 3 midfielders, 2 wingers and
1 forward. Notice what is scarce: goalkeeper and forward have one slot
each. Use the forward on the first country and the last one in the queue may only have
forwards on your list — then the side closes with ten.
Why the order matters
The queue is drawn at random but visible: you can look ahead and decide which position
to spend on each country. A country full of players across positions is flexible —
leave it for later. A country you can only name in one position is rigid — solve it early, while
its slot still exists. That calculation is the game, not luck.
What counts as a guess
Players from our list who played for the country up — hundreds every day. A
guess from another country is refused and costs nothing: what costs is the
position you spend. Managers are out, because a manager's career is from the
bench, and here the question is who played.
Three strategies that work
- Start with the goalkeeper you are sure about. There is only one slot, and
it is usually the first to run out.
- Save the big countries for last. Brazil, Spain or Germany can fill
whatever slot is left; a small country cannot.
- Count the slots before you field anyone. Two full-backs, three
midfielders: when the last one of a position goes, every country that only fits there is
left out.
When the day ends
Fill the eleven slots and you win the day. If the remaining slots fit no country left in the
queue, the game says so right away — and shows a lineup that worked, so you can
see where the maths turned. And if you get stuck you can raise the white flag:
it ends the day, counts as a loss and reveals the answer.
Frequently asked questions
What time does the side of the day change?
At midnight, in your device local time. Everyone plays the same eleven countries on the same day.
Is my progress saved?
It is, in your own browser — and separate from the other games: each one has its own stats
and streak.
Does sharing give the answer away?
No. The text is only the side in coloured squares and the score, with no country and no name.
Are there other games?
There are: Craque Oculto, where you find the player of the day from his
career, club by club, in 8 guesses.
