The FIFA World Cup third-place play-off has long divided opinion. While many players and managers see it as a match no team wants to play after the disappointment of a semi-final defeat, FIFA continues to stage the fixture because of its sporting, financial and commercial value.
This year's play-off will see France face England at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium tonight, a day before Spain meet Argentina in the World Cup final.
FIFA officially refers to the fixture as the "Bronze Final", with the winners receiving bronze medals and higher prize money than the fourth-placed side. The victorious team earns $29 million, $2 million more than the losers.
The match also carries significance beyond medals and money. Unlike a friendly, the result contributes to FIFA's world rankings, which can influence future tournament seedings and qualifying draws. It also gives one of the losing semi-finalists the chance to end its campaign on a positive note.
Commercially, the fixture generates additional revenue through ticket sales and broadcasting rights while filling the gap between the semi-finals and the final with another high-profile match.
The third-place play-off was first introduced at the 1934 World Cup, where Germany defeated Austria 3-2. It was absent from the inaugural tournament in 1930 and the 1950 edition, which used a final round-robin format, but has featured at every World Cup since 1954.
The fixture has also produced some of the tournament's most memorable records. Turkey's Hakan Sukur scored after just 11 seconds against South Korea in 2002, the fastest goal in World Cup history. France's Just Fontaine struck four times against West Germany in 1958 to finish with 13 goals, still the record for the most goals by a player in a single World Cup.
Several Golden Boot winners, including Eusebio, Toto Schillaci, Davor Suker and Thomas Muller, added to their tournament tallies in third-place matches. This year, England captain Harry Kane and France's Kylian Mbappe have one final opportunity to improve their goal counts.
Despite its history, the fixture has attracted criticism from leading managers. Former Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal described it as a match that "should never be played", arguing that it unfairly risks leaving teams with consecutive defeats after impressive tournaments. Former England manager Gareth Southgate similarly admitted it was "not a game any team wants to play in".
As a result, many coaches rotate heavily, giving opportunities to squad players who featured little during the tournament.
However, some nations have embraced the occasion. Croatia celebrated third place in 1998 at its first World Cup as an independent nation, while Sweden's 4-0 victory over Bulgaria in 1994 remains one of the country's greatest tournament achievements.
Although often labelled football's consolation prize, the third-place play-off continues to serve a purpose, offering financial rewards, ranking points, historical significance and one final opportunity for teams to finish the World Cup on a winning note.
