FIFA World Cup: List of all nations that have finished 3rd
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
Not quite like the final, but a medal at stake makes things competitive.
The two teams that lost their semi-final matches face each other in the FIFA World Cup‘s third-place game. The losing side takes nothing with them.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 final match will be held on Sunday night. Argentina will face Spain for the biggest battle of the year.
La Albiceleste are going to play the final once again. Last time, they defeated France in an epic 2022 final which included a Kylian Mbappe hat trick.
Besides this, we also have another heavyweight matchup. France and England, who lost their respective semifinal games, collide for third place.
Both nations had a fantastic run but fell short when it mattered the most. Now they will look to take back a medal back home.
Let’s look back at every third-place game result in World Cup history:
| Year | Result |
| 1934 | Germany 3-2 Austria |
| 1938 | Brazil 4-2 Sweden |
| 1954 | Austria 3-1 Uruguay |
| 1958 | France 6-3 West Germany |
| 1962 | Chile 1-0 Yugoslavia |
| 1966 | Portugal 2-1 Soviet Union |
| 1970 | West Germany 1-0 Uruguay |
| 1974 | Poland 1-0 Brazil |
| 1978 | Brazil 2-1 Italy |
| 1982 | Poland 3-2 France |
| 1986 | France 4-2 Belgium |
| 1990 | Italy 2-1 England |
| 1994 | Sweden 4-0 Bulgaria |
| 1998 | Croatia 2-1 Netherlands |
| 2002 | Turkey 3-2 South Korea |
| 2006 | Germany 3-1 Portugal |
| 2010 | Germany 3-2 Uruguay |
| 2014 | Netherlands 3-0 Brazil |
| 2018 | Belgium 2-0 England |
| 2022 | Croatia 2-1 Morocco |
| 2026 | France vs England |
In 1930 – There was no third-place game this year. FIFA eventually ruled that the United States finished in third based on its overall record in the tournament.
In 1950 – There was no final this year. The winner was decided by a round-robin format between four nations.
Have Portugal ever won a third-place medal in the FIFA World Cup?
Yes. In 1966, they defeated the Soviet Union 2-1.
Which team has won the most third-place medals at the FIFA World Cup?
Germany. They have won the bronze medal a record four times (once as West Germany)
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