The greatest attraction of the World Cup is always the uniqueness of moments that only appear once every 4 years. That is what creates the tension, drama and special emotions of the tournament. However, when the 2026 World Cup enters the final stage, the third-place match is still considered the least attractive match of the tournament.
Many coaches and players publicly expressed opposition to this match. One of the most famous examples is at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, when coach Eddie Jones mocked his colleague Warren Gatland with the message: "Tell him to enjoy the third-place match". In the end, Wales lost to New Zealand and the match almost left no mark.
Football is no different either. After the defeat to Argentina in the semi-finals, coach Thomas Tuchel admitted that the England players did not want to enter the confrontation with France at all.
No one of our players and no one of France want to play this match. They all want to be in the final. Everyone comes to the World Cup to win, but that's reality" - Tuchel said.
The German coach said that England will still play seriously, even though they have one less day of rest than France to recover.
In the first World Cup with up to 104 matches, the 103rd match was considered the most meaningless match. After a long season with a dense schedule, the players continued to have to play in a match where they no longer had a chance to compete for the championship.
Not only Tuchel, Louis van Gaal has also repeatedly called on FIFA to remove the third-place match. After the Netherlands defeated Brazil 3-0 to win third place at the 2014 World Cup, he affirmed: "I have been saying this for 10 years. That match should never have existed. It is unfair".
Van Gaal's argument is not without basis. Coaches often rotate the squad, giving opportunities to reserve players or those who are rarely played. Many number two, even number three, goalkeepers are also fielded. That makes the match more colorful as a friendly match than a World Cup battle.
However, for football nations that have never gone deep in the World Cup, third place is still a proud achievement. Turkey in 2002, Sweden in 1994 or Croatia in 2022 all see this as a historical milestone. For Morocco in 2022, if they win, it will be the first bronze medal of an African representative.
Conversely, for football powers like England, France, Germany or Brazil, third place is almost meaningless. Their only goal is always the World Cup trophy.
In the context of a tight schedule and the issue of player health being put first, there are increasing opinions that FIFA should consider eliminating the third-place match. Because after all, what fans are waiting for is still the final, and the third-place battle rarely creates a corresponding attraction.
