Telegram Prediction Bot for FIFA World Cup 2026
A fully functional Telegram prediction bot built and deployed for a private group tournament running alongside the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
What was built:
The bot automatically tracks all tournament matches, collects predictions from participants, calculates points, and posts results to the group chat immediately after each match ends. Participants place two types of bets per match — on the winner (1 point) and on the exact score (3 points).
Tech stack:
Python 3.12 + aiogram 3.x — async Telegram bot with inline keyboards, callback handlers, and a full state management system
aiosqlite — async SQLite for matches, bets, users, and a full transaction ledger
Docker + DigitalOcean VPS — containerized deployment on an Ubuntu server with automatic restart on failure
football-data.org API — official source for the full match schedule, statuses, and final scores (104 matches)
ESPN Unofficial API — secondary real-time data source polling live scores every 2 minutes during active matches, no API key required
Make.com Webhook → Google Sheets — after each settled match, all bets and results are automatically logged to a spreadsheet
Dual-source score sync — ESPN updates the score first (priority); football-data.org only updates match status without overwriting live score data
Key features:
Bet placement and cancellation with a 10-minute change window
Bet hiding until the change window expires (copy-protection)
Automatic points calculation and group announcement on match end
Real-time leaderboard
Entry fee payment confirmation system with personal and group notifications
Admin command to attach stream links to upcoming matches
Atomic race-condition protection preventing duplicate match settlement
USDT TRC-20, Aptos, and Bybit payment method support
What was built:
The bot automatically tracks all tournament matches, collects predictions from participants, calculates points, and posts results to the group chat immediately after each match ends. Participants place two types of bets per match — on the winner (1 point) and on the exact score (3 points).
Tech stack:
Python 3.12 + aiogram 3.x — async Telegram bot with inline keyboards, callback handlers, and a full state management system
aiosqlite — async SQLite for matches, bets, users, and a full transaction ledger
Docker + DigitalOcean VPS — containerized deployment on an Ubuntu server with automatic restart on failure
football-data.org API — official source for the full match schedule, statuses, and final scores (104 matches)
ESPN Unofficial API — secondary real-time data source polling live scores every 2 minutes during active matches, no API key required
Make.com Webhook → Google Sheets — after each settled match, all bets and results are automatically logged to a spreadsheet
Dual-source score sync — ESPN updates the score first (priority); football-data.org only updates match status without overwriting live score data
Key features:
Bet placement and cancellation with a 10-minute change window
Bet hiding until the change window expires (copy-protection)
Automatic points calculation and group announcement on match end
Real-time leaderboard
Entry fee payment confirmation system with personal and group notifications
Admin command to attach stream links to upcoming matches
Atomic race-condition protection preventing duplicate match settlement
USDT TRC-20, Aptos, and Bybit payment method support
Kharkiv 
Available for hire
Offer work