Why is there a third-place play-off at World Cup? England vs France set for 'Bronze final'

Open menu

OneFootball's home page

Settings

Evening Standard

16 July 2026

Three Lions face familiar foes in ‘Bronze final’

England

will face

France

in the

World Cup

third-place

play-off

on Saturday as they look to bounce back from their dramatic

2-1

semi-final defeat to

Argentina

The Three Lions’ hopes of ending 60 years of hurt may have been dashed, but their campaign is not quite over yet, and they will now travel to Miami, Florida to take on

in a game neither team will be particularly happy about playing.

Thomas Tuchel’s side conceded twice late on as

came from behind to seal their place in Sunday’s showpiece final, while

were comfortably beaten

2-0

by Spain in the other semi-final.

England have competed in two previous

third-place play-offs, losing 2-1 to hosts Italy in 1990 and 2-0 to Belgium in 2018.

France, meanwhile, have competed in three third-place play-offs, winning 6-3 against West Germany in 1958 and 4-2 after extra time against Belgium in 1986. Their only loss came in 1982, when they were beaten 3-2 by Poland.

While

will undergo some soul-searching after a bitterly disappointing exit at the hands of

will be keen to go out on a high in Didier Deschamps’ final game in charge.

Kylian Mbappe will also have one eye on

winning the Golden Boot for a second successive World Cup

- the

and

Real Madrid

forward is currently tied with Lionel Messi for goals scored, but trails the Argentine by one assist heading into the final game of the tournament.

The short answer is revenue, as a third-place play-off gives

FIFA

another game in which to drive ticket sales, while broadcasters can sell advertising spots in exchange for showing the game.

The third-place play-off also has an impact on the global rankings and gives players an opportunity to restore some pride and end their tournament on a high.

For some players, like Mbappe, the third-place play-off offers a chance to win personal accolades such as the Golden Boot or the Golden Glove.

The first third-place play-off was introduced in 1934, the second edition of the

, with Germany beating Austria 3-2.

Before that, at the 1930 edition, third place was decided on goal difference.

Golden boy: Kylian Mbappe

Getty

There was no third-place play-off in 1954, with

opting for a round-robin format for the first

after World War 2.

The third-place play-off was then reintroduced in 1954 and has remained part of the tournament ever since.

FIFA announced in 2026 that they would call the third-place play-off the Bronze final.

Forget Mbappe and Messi, Haaland is the star of this World Cup forcing England into a vital change

The Independent

EXCLUSIVE | Michael Owen on Michael Olise: ‘He’s lethal and would walk into any team in the world.’

Get Football News

Jude Bellingham clarifies Lionel Messi confrontation in England’s World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina

Gutted Jude Bellingham breaks silence after England’s World Cup heartbreak against Argentina: ‘I wish I could give more’

Jude Bellingham slaps Argentina star after England exit World Cup

Predicting which clubs the summer's biggest free agents will sign for

There are still some massive names who are set to become free agents in the summer, with some high-profile deals due to expire at the end of next month.As speculation...

Tottenham: Why James Maddison was not awarded a penalty against Leeds as Premier League issue statement

Spurs midfielder denied a big moment on his return from injuryThe Premier League has explained why Tottenham were not awarded a penalty in their draw against Leeds.As the clock ticked...

Bento's howler delays CR7's first title in Saudi Arabia 😱

An ugly mistake by Brazilian goalkeeper Bento prevented Al-Nassr from winning the Saudi League title this Tuesday.Cristiano Ronaldo’s team was leading 1-0 until the 53rd minute of the second half,...