With the World Cup final now confirmed, an underlying fixture on the schedule is drawing significant public and media ire: the third-place playoff. While Argentina and Spain prepare to contest a historic final at the New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday – the first-ever World Cup final between the reigning European champions and Copa America winners – the spotlight of controversy falls on Saturday’s 'bronze medal' match.
England, reeling from a semifinal collapse against Argentina, will face France at the Miami Stadium. Spain's dominant performance against France in the other semi set up their final clash, leaving England and France to battle in a game many deem utterly pointless.
The sentiment against the fixture is widespread and vocal. Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, took to X to express his dismay, tweeting: "Wait, there is a 3rd place World Cup game? What kind of loser b******* is that? That has to be the most demoralizing game of all time." He is not alone in this view, with a newly converted US soccer fan commenting, "I'd fly home or to my holidays if I were a footballer. The 3rd place playoff is the most pointless fixture in soccer." Miami Dolphins insider Joe Schad echoed this, writing on X, “To be honest there should not be a third-place World Cup game. Very painful and somewhat pointless for those players and those nations.”
Despite the newly-expanded World Cup featuring over 100 games this summer, the third-place playoff, introduced in 1934, has remained. England has prior experience in this consolation match, having lost 2-0 to Belgium in the 2018 third-place playoff following their semi-final defeat to Croatia. Germany holds the record for most bronze medals, with four, alongside their four World Cup titles.
The rationale behind FIFA's retention of the game is largely pragmatic. It serves to fill the scheduling gap between the semifinals and the final, generating additional revenue for both FIFA and the host city. Furthermore, the match is deemed essential for FIFA's global rankings, carrying more weight than an international friendly.
For the players involved, a minor silver lining exists in the chance to secure a bronze medal and a share of the $30 million third-place prize pool. Statisticians also note that goals scored in this match count towards the Golden Boot race, currently led by Lionel Messi with eight goals. Kylian Mbappe (8 goals), Jude Bellingham (6 goals), and Harry Kane (6 goals) are also in contention. However, one fan dismissed this, stating, "3rd place game counting for golden boot is a joke lmao."
It remains uncertain whether coaches Thomas Tuchel and Didier Deschamps will field full-strength teams or opt to rest their star players, giving minutes to those who have seen less action. Ultimately, for England and France, Saturday's encounter represents a stark reminder of their failure to achieve their ultimate tournament aspirations, compelling them to participate in a game widely considered undesirable while Spain and Argentina vie for the ultimate glory.