diff --git a/apps/web/app/the-bet/the-bet.css b/apps/web/app/the-bet/the-bet.css
index 9ff5560d..ba5c37f3 100644
--- a/apps/web/app/the-bet/the-bet.css
+++ b/apps/web/app/the-bet/the-bet.css
@@ -271,9 +271,13 @@
   text-decoration: none !important;
   transition: transform 100ms ease;
 }
+/* `!important` because `.vt-bet-body a` (the body-link colour rule
+ * higher up in this file) is more specific than this class on its
+ * own, which made the CTA render as gold text on a gold pill.
+ * Tim 2026-06-05. */
 .vt-bet-cta-primary {
   background: #dca94b;
-  color: #15151a;
+  color: #15151a !important;
 }
 .vt-bet-cta-primary:hover {
   transform: translateY(-1px);
diff --git a/apps/web/app/world-cup-2026/bracket.css b/apps/web/app/world-cup-2026/bracket.css
index 23da89bf..822dee94 100644
--- a/apps/web/app/world-cup-2026/bracket.css
+++ b/apps/web/app/world-cup-2026/bracket.css
@@ -3228,12 +3228,16 @@ a.bracket-save-panel-cta-primary {
 }
 
 /* Selected: matches the .km-team.is-winner treatment - gold inner
- * ring + halo + a brighter scrim so the picked tile pops. */
+ * ring + halo + a brighter scrim so the picked tile pops. Tim
+ * 2026-06-05: bumped to a 5px solid-gold inset with a soft inner
+ * highlight + larger outer glow; the previous 3px ring wasn't
+ * reading strongly enough against the unselected tiles. */
 .bracket-thirds-tile.is-selected {
-  border-color: rgba(220, 169, 75, 0.6);
+  border-color: #dca94b;
   box-shadow:
-    inset 0 0 0 3px var(--vt-gold-400, #dca94b),
-    0 0 14px rgba(220, 169, 75, 0.35);
+    inset 0 0 0 5px var(--vt-gold-400, #dca94b),
+    inset 0 0 0 6px rgba(255, 220, 130, 0.35),
+    0 0 24px rgba(220, 169, 75, 0.55);
 }
 .bracket-thirds-tile.is-selected::after {
   background: linear-gradient(
diff --git a/apps/web/components/bracket/BracketBuilder.tsx b/apps/web/components/bracket/BracketBuilder.tsx
index 33566cd3..23a54868 100644
--- a/apps/web/components/bracket/BracketBuilder.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/components/bracket/BracketBuilder.tsx
@@ -1757,6 +1757,15 @@ export function BracketBuilder(props: BracketBuilderProps) {
                     <strong>{finalProgress.picked}</strong> of {finalProgress.total} picked
                   </span>
                 </div>
+                {/* Top banner: same hoist treatment as the KO rounds
+                  * (Tim 2026-06-05) so the user sees the upstream-fix
+                  * CTA without scrolling past the final-match card. */}
+                <CascadeWarnings
+                  warnings={cascaded.warnings}
+                  currentTab="final"
+                  onJumpToTab={(target) => setTab(target as TabId)}
+                  mode="banner"
+                />
                 <div className="bracket-final-layout">
                   <div
                     className="bracket-final-match km-pinch-wrap"
@@ -1871,6 +1880,16 @@ export function BracketBuilder(props: BracketBuilderProps) {
                 Tap the team you predict will advance. Slots fill in as you finish
                 the previous round.
               </p>
+              {/* Tim 2026-06-05: hoist the upstream-cascade banner to
+                * the top of the round so mobile users see it before
+                * scrolling through empty slots; the details list still
+                * renders at the bottom of the whole tabpanel grid. */}
+              <CascadeWarnings
+                warnings={cascaded.warnings}
+                currentTab={panelId as CascadeTab}
+                onJumpToTab={(target) => setTab(target as TabId)}
+                mode="banner"
+              />
               <div
                 className="km-pinch-wrap"
                 ref={attachKmRefs ? kmContainerRef : null}
@@ -1889,14 +1908,15 @@ export function BracketBuilder(props: BracketBuilderProps) {
         })}
       </div>
 
-      {/* Tim 2026-06-05: cascade warnings rendered through a
-        * dedicated component that translates engine codes to plain
-        * English and surfaces a contextual "go back to <prior tab>"
-        * banner when the user is downstream of an incomplete stage. */}
+      {/* Tim 2026-06-05: details-only at the bottom. The contextual
+        * "Go to <prior tab>" banner is hoisted to the top of each
+        * round panel above so it's visible without scrolling; the
+        * collapsible details list stays here as a reference. */}
       <CascadeWarnings
         warnings={cascaded.warnings}
         currentTab={tab as CascadeTab}
         onJumpToTab={(target) => setTab(target as TabId)}
+        mode="details"
       />
 
 
diff --git a/apps/web/components/bracket/CascadeWarnings.tsx b/apps/web/components/bracket/CascadeWarnings.tsx
index 8521e0fd..08874a57 100644
--- a/apps/web/components/bracket/CascadeWarnings.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/components/bracket/CascadeWarnings.tsx
@@ -50,6 +50,17 @@ export interface CascadeWarningsProps {
    * decides what "go back" means (typically `setTab(targetTab)`).
    */
   readonly onJumpToTab: (target: BracketTabId) => void;
+  /**
+   * Which surfaces to render. Tim 2026-06-05 split the banner from
+   * the details list so the banner can hoist to the top of a round
+   * (it's the actionable bit) while the long-form details stay at
+   * the bottom (the curious-user reference).
+   *
+   * - `"full"` (default): renders both.
+   * - `"banner"`: just the contextual "go back to <prior tab>" CTA.
+   * - `"details"`: just the collapsible list.
+   */
+  readonly mode?: "full" | "banner" | "details";
 }
 
 /**
@@ -162,6 +173,7 @@ export function CascadeWarnings({
   warnings,
   currentTab,
   onJumpToTab,
+  mode = "full",
 }: CascadeWarningsProps): JSX.Element | null {
   if (warnings.length === 0) return null;
 
@@ -177,9 +189,13 @@ export function CascadeWarnings({
   const friendlyList = Array.from(uniqueByCode.entries());
   const banner = pickBannerWarning(warnings, currentTab);
 
+  // In banner-only mode, render nothing when there's no upstream
+  // banner to show; the parent doesn't need an empty wrapper.
+  if (mode === "banner" && banner === null) return null;
+
   return (
     <div className="bracket-cascade-warnings">
-      {banner ? (
+      {mode !== "details" && banner ? (
         <div className="bracket-cascade-banner" role="status">
           <span className="bracket-cascade-banner-text">{banner.message}</span>
           <button
@@ -192,18 +208,20 @@ export function CascadeWarnings({
         </div>
       ) : null}
 
-      <details className="bracket-cascade-details">
-        <summary>
-          {friendlyList.length === 1
-            ? "Heads up about your picks"
-            : `${friendlyList.length} things still need picking`}
-        </summary>
-        <ul>
-          {friendlyList.map(([code, msg]) => (
-            <li key={code}>{msg}</li>
-          ))}
-        </ul>
-      </details>
+      {mode !== "banner" ? (
+        <details className="bracket-cascade-details">
+          <summary>
+            {friendlyList.length === 1
+              ? "Heads up about your picks"
+              : `${friendlyList.length} things still need picking`}
+          </summary>
+          <ul>
+            {friendlyList.map(([code, msg]) => (
+              <li key={code}>{msg}</li>
+            ))}
+          </ul>
+        </details>
+      ) : null}
     </div>
   );
 }