Striker's Instinct is a back-to-basics football sim kicking off its own World Cup
Footie with friends
- Take a crack at winning the World Cup for yourself in Striker's Instinct
- Invite up to 48 pals to play in a tournament, playing matches at your own pace
- Try it out for free and unlock the full career mode with one purchase
With the football World Cup set to get underway this week (and already facing controversy), you may want to take some time to enjoy your own sporting fun. And if you and your friends think you could do better than the pros, then maybe Striker's Instinct will allow you to prove your chops?
Striker's Instinct is a simple, back-to-basics take on the football simulator format. It's just you, the ball and endless striking as you take your footballer all the way from humble beginnings to international fame and glory. And now, in the new World Cup 2026 feature, your friends can join you on the way.
Goals galore
In Striker's Instinct's World Cup mode, one player hosts and sends out a link to their pals, allowing them to join the tournament. Up to 48 people can join whenever they choose, with empty slots filled by AI teams, as you play whenever you feel ready and progress through the tournament.It's an ingeniously approachable take on the format that plays into the appeal of pastimes such as World Cup sweepstakes, while allowing you to have your own impact on progression. Admittedly, the gameplay may be hit-or-miss, but that's precisely why you may want to give it a go for yourself.
And the best part is that it's currently free-to-play, with Striker's Instinct offering a one-time purchase to unlock the full career mode. But the World Cup option looks set to be the perfect taster to see if this love letter to the retro football sims of old is worth shelling out the cash for!
In the meantime, if Striker's Instinct still isn't enough sports to satisfy you, then we've got plenty of other options to add onto your plate this summer. Why not take a look at our list of the best sports games on iOS to find some of our top picks?
