Every third-place play-off match in FIFA World Cup history
by Alex Sarwar ·
Updated
The first ever FIFA World Cup third-place play-off match took place all the way back in the 1934 edition of the tournament. Following 1938, the third-place play-off did not return until 1954.
Since 1954, we've seen a third-place play-off played in every single World Cup, and they tend to be high-scoring affairs.
Below is a breakdown of all men's FIFA World Cup third-place play-offs:
DATE | CITY / COUNTRY | MATCH | VENUE |
|---|---|---|---|
18/07/2026 | Miami, USA | France 4-6 England | Hard Rock Stadium |
17/12/2022 | Al Rayyan, Qatar | Croatia 2–1 Morocco | Khalifa International Stadium |
14/07/2018 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | Belgium 2–0 England | Saint Petersburg Stadium |
12/07/2014 | Brasília, Brazil | Brazil 0–3 Netherlands | Nacional |
11/07/2010 | Port Elizabeth, South Africa | Uruguay 2–3 Germany | Port Elizabeth |
08/07/2006 | Stuttgart, Germany | Germany 3–1 Portugal | FIFA World Cup Stadium |
29/06/2002 | Daegu, South Korea | South Korea 2–3 Turkey | Daegu World Cup Stadium |
11/07/1998 | Paris, France | Netherlands 1–2 Croatia | Parc des Princes |
16/07/1994 | Pasadena, United States | Sweden 4–0 Bulgaria | Rose Bowl |
07/07/1990 | Bari, Italy | Italy 2–1 England | San Nicola |
28/06/1986 | Puebla, Mexico | France 4–2 Belgium | Cuauhtémoc |
10/07/1982 | Alicante, Spain | Poland 3–2 France | Jose Rico Perez |
24/06/1978 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Brazil 2–1 Italy | Monumental |
06/07/1974 | Munich, West Germany | Brazil 0–1 Poland | Olympiastadion |
20/06/1970 | Mexico City, Mexico | West Germany 1–0 Uruguay | Azteca |
28/07/1966 | London, England | Portugal 2–1 Soviet Union | Wembley |
16/06/1962 | Santiago, Chile | Chile 1–0 Yugoslavia | Nacional |
28/06/1958 | Gothenburg, Sweden | France 6–3 West Germany | Nya Ullevi |
03/07/1954 | Zurich, Switzerland | Austria 3–1 Uruguay | Hardturm |
1950 | Brazil | No match (final group standings decided places) | No venue |
19/06/1938 | Bordeaux, France | Brazil 4–2 Sweden | Parc Lescure |
07/06/1934 | Naples, Italy | Germany 3–2 Austria | Giorgio Ascarelli |
1930 | Uruguay | No match for third place | No venue |
The 1978 FIFA World Cup third-place play-off saw Brazil beat Italy 2-1 in Buenos Aires and, including that match, both teams have now scored in ten of the last 13 third-place play-offs.
Goals tend to be a regular occurrence, with three or more scored in all bar one third-place play-off between 1978 and 2026. The only match not to exceed two goals came in the 2018 World Cup, which saw Belgium beat England 2-0 through goals from Thomas Meunier and Eden Hazard.
The highest-scoring match was the most recent, with England defeating France 6-4 in July 2026, with Bukayo Saka scoring a hat-trick and Kylian Mbappe securing the Golden Boot.
