France will play England in the 2026 World Cup third-place play-off on Saturday. We look back on what some see as a bit of an odd fixture at the tournament.
After 102 games, there are just two remaining at the 2026 World Cup.
One is the biggest game in football, the World Cup final. The opportunity for players to cement legacies, to conquer the biggest achievement in the game, and to make history.
The other… is on Saturday.
It is quite telling that with France and England losing their World Cup semi-finals this week, the language around their impending third-place play-off has been along the lines of ‘having to stick around’ to carry out their duties.
Yes, both will be very disappointed to be playing the game, because it means they’ll be in Miami rather than contesting the World Cup final 24 hours later in New Jersey, but it does at least give them a chance to go out on a bit of a high.
FIFA calls it the ‘Bronze final’ and do hand out bronze medals to the victors. Whether those medals end up in a display case or a drawer is anyone’s guess, but it should be remembered that Croatia celebrated their win over Morocco in 2022 like a trophy, and coming third in a World Cup is undoubtedly still an impressive achievement.
The winner also increases their prize money by $2 million, earning $29m, while the fourth-place team are given $27m.
But to many, the third-place play-off often feels like something of a friendly or even an exhibition game.
There has been a third-place play-off at every World Cup bar two, the inaugural event in 1930, and the 1950 edition.
It is still an official World Cup match, so players can add to their appearances, goals and assists in the tournament. Who knows? Maybe Jude Bellingham could charge ahead of
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