Why Does FIFA Still Hold the World Cup Third Place Playoff Match? Here Are the Reasons.

The third place play-off has always been part of World Cup history. Even though it is widely regarded as the fixture that teams eliminated before the final want to avoid the most, FIFA has retained this match all the way through to the 2026 tournament edition.

Unlike FIFA, UEFA abolished the European Championship third place play-off back in 1984. Since that year, the two losing semi-finalists exit the tournament immediately with no further matches required.

This policy difference has returned to public attention after France and England were confirmed to face each other in the 2026 World Cup third place fixture. Both nations missed out on the final after France fell 0-2 to Spain, while England were beaten 1-2 by Argentina.

Commercial Factors As The Primary Reason

One of the biggest motivations for FIFA retaining the third place play-off is the commercial revenue it generates.

Every additional match at the World Cup delivers significant income, covering ticket sales, television broadcasting rights, sponsorship deals and advertising revenue.

Additionally, this fixture fills the gap between the semi-finals and final, ensuring audiences still have a high-profile match to watch in the build-up to the tournament showpiece.

Drawing millions of viewers across the globe, the third place play-off retains substantial audience appeal despite not being the title decider match.

Impacts Official FIFA World Rankings

Beyond business considerations, this match also carries formal competitive weight.

As an official FIFA sanctioned fixture, the full result counts towards official world ranking point calculations.

These additional points can affect a nation's seeding position for draws across all international competitions, including World Cup qualifiers and the UEFA Nations League.

For players, this match also offers one final chance to end the tournament on a winning note following the disappointment of semi-final elimination.

Greater Prize Rewards For Third Place

FIFA also provides considerable financial incentives for teams that finish in third position.

The third placed team receives 29 million US Dollars in prize money, 2 million USD higher than the fourth placed side which is awarded 27 million USD.

Alongside the cash prize, the winning team also takes home official bronze medals as formal recognition of their tournament performance.

Source Of Historic World Cup Records

Despite frequently being dismissed as unimportant, the third place play-off has produced some of the most iconic records in World Cup history.

The fastest goal ever scored at the tournament was registered in this fixture at the 2002 World Cup, when Turkey striker Hakan Sukur found the net after just 11 seconds against South Korea.

Meanwhile, France forward Just Fontaine scored four goals during France's 6-3 third place victory over West Germany at the 1958 World Cup.

That haul brought his tournament total to 13 goals, an all-time record for most goals by a single player at one World Cup that remains unbeaten to this day.

This fixture also regularly decides the Golden Boot race. Eusebio (1966), Salvatore "Toto" Schillaci (1990), Davor Suker (1998) and Thomas Muller (2010) all added goals in the third place match on their way to finishing as tournament top scorers.

At the 2026 World Cup, the France vs England third place fixture will be the final opportunity for Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane to improve their position in the Golden Boot standings.

Remains Subject To Criticism

Even with all these factors, the third place play-off continues to draw widespread criticism.

Former Netherlands head coach Louis van Gaal, quoted by The Athletic, has publicly stated this fixture should be scrapped entirely.

He argued the match is unfair, as sides who performed strongly throughout the tournament risk ending their campaign with two consecutive defeats following their semi-final exit.

Former England manager Gareth Southgate expressed the same view ahead of the 2018 World Cup third place match against Belgium, noting that this is not a fixture any player actually wants to compete in.

England legend Alan Shearer has also criticised the match, stating that the vast majority of players just want to conclude the tournament and return to their club duties.

Why Did UEFA Abolish This Fixture?

Unlike FIFA, UEFA chose to scrap the Euros third place play-off starting from the 1984 tournament edition.

This decision followed a full review of previous tournament operations. UEFA concluded the match attracted low spectator interest, provided minimal entertainment value, and placed unnecessary additional physical strain on players at the end of an already demanding tournament schedule.

Since this change was implemented, the two losing Euro semi-finalists are both recognised as eliminated semi-finalists, with no extra fixture required.