"I wish I had this opportunity when I was younger."
Dr. Craig Holmes
Economist & Senior Academic Fellow at the University of Oxford
The Economics World Cup gives you exposure to how global institutions use economics to deploy billions of dollars and shape policy.
Grand Prize
All-Expenses-Paid Trip to Oxford
Get a bespoke trip to the University of Oxford, where you will get to engage with Oxford professors and students.
You are allowed to bring 1 teacher with you on this free trip.
Accommodation Included
Transport Included
Second Prize
An Internship at a Y-Combinator Startup
You will join Derya AI and contribute to a live investor relations project alongside their team.
You will gain hands-on startup experience and help guide a project with real business impact.
Mentorship from founders
Y-Combinator Startup
The entire team and 1 teacher will get an iPad.
The iPad features the A16 chip, 128GB of storage, a Liquid Retina display and up to 10 hours of battery life.
A16 chip
Liquid Retina display
Additional prizes will also be awarded for:
Best Speaker
Most Creative Solution
Most Sustainable Solution
Emerging Young Talents
And more…
"Our students [who have since graduated] valued the experience so highly that they were very disappointed not to have the opportunity to participate again this year, which is perhaps the strongest endorsement of all!"
Neil Enright
Headmaster at Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet — The Sunday Times' #1 UK state school 2026
Built by a team of professional commodity traders.
Treasure Wars™ is a 4 day online trading simulation, based on the principles behind the London Metal Exchange.
How It Works
In Treasure Wars™, your team competes live against EWC participants from around the world to bid for mystery chests.
Some chests will contain a lot of gold. Some will contain nothing. Some will be traps.
To win, your team must think like gold options traders: weighing risk against reward, reading your rivals, and knowing when to go all in.
School Teams Qualify Together
If any one team from your school finishes in the top 20%, all teams from your school progress to the Finals.
The case study has been developed at the University of Oxford in collaboration with Oxford Finance Society and industry professionals at investment banks such as Goldman Sachs and Citibank.
See past case studies here.
Video (max 5 minutes)
Report (max 2 pages / 1000 words)
Presentation (max 10 slides)
Podcast (max 10 minutes)
Will you impress the Economics World Cup Advisory Board?
Meet Team Cooply and Demand, the winners of the 2025 Economics World Cup.
Mentorship from Oxford Finance Society
OFS will provide two training workshops to all EWC participants.
How McKinsey consultants use the SCR framework to make any argument more persuasive
Deep dive into the Goldman Sachs problem-solving and analysis toolkit
All Tools Allowed
Economists do not rely on facts they have memorized. They consult research, leverage technology, and draw on every available resource to arrive at the best decision.
In this spirit, you are encouraged to use academic research, AI, and other external resources.
Virtual Roundtable
with Professor Craig Holmes
After the finals, you will be invited to a virtual roundtable with Dr. Craig Holmes, a leading University of Oxford economist.
Dr. Holmes will share what it’s like to work in economics and offer an insider’s perspective on applying to top universities.
Why join the 2026 Economics World Cup?
Based on results from a post-2025 EWC survey.
of participating students said they were likely to recommend the EWC to a friend or family member.
of eligible students said they were likely to participate in the EWC again.
of students said they learned something new from participating in the EWC.
1.
Talk to your friends and fellow students to organize a team of 2-6 students.
If you cannot find any teammates, no worries. You can register individually and we will match you with a top-notch team after the registration period ends.
2.
Sign up for the Economics World Cup individually using your personal email.
3.
After you sign up, we will send you a form where you can register your teammates and team name.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a reading list that I should use to prepare?
No, there is no reading list to prepare for.
How many students can be in a team?
A team can have 1-6 students.
How do I sign up with my team?
Everyone in your team must register individually. Once the sign-ups close, we will send out a “Team Sign-Up” form and you will be able to record your team on the official directory. Make sure you are checking your emails frequently, including spam.
What if my teammate has not signed up individually?
Every member of the team is required to complete their individual registration and payment before submitting the team sign-ups. Should your team advance to the final round, but any of your teammates have not registered individually, your entire team risks being disqualified.
Who is eligible to participate?
Anyone who has yet to start a bachelor's degree by 1 August 2027 is allowed to participate. Students on a gap year are allowed to participate.
Can I invite my friends from other schools to be a part of my team?
There are no restrictions on team formation. You are free to team up with anyone you would like, regardless of school, country, or any other factor.
