Reaching the World Cup semifinals guarantees a place among the last four nations standing. Pretty impressive! But, unlike all other knockout games, a defeat in the penultimate round doesn’t mean a team’s tournament is over.

While all eyes are focused on the race to lift the trophy on Sunday July 19, FIFA still stages one final game before the title decider: the third-place playoff. This involves the two semifinal losers returning to the field one last time to decide who finishes third and who ends the tournament in fourth.

It’s a tradition that has been part of almost every modern World Cup and, despite the expanded 48-team format in 2026 – and plenty of criticism about it being a waste of time – FIFA has kept it in place.

Why is there a third-place game at the World Cup?

The third-place playoff has been a regular feature of the men’s World Cup since 1934. It gives the semifinal losers one last chance to end their tournament with a victory and officially claim a place on the podium. No, there’s not an actual Olympic-style podium!

For some teams, it can feel like a disappointing consolation after falling just short of the final. For others, it’s an opportunity to make history. Morocco, for example, became the first African nation to reach a World Cup semifinal in 2022 before finishing fourth, while Belgium secured its best-ever World Cup finish by beating England to claim third in 2018.

In 2026, the game will be played on Saturday, July 18, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, one day before the World Cup final.

How much prize money do the third and fourth-place teams receive?

As you may have guessed if you’ve been following the FIFA modus operandi, there’s more than pride at stake.

The winner of the third-place game will earn $29 million in FIFA prize money, while the losing team will still receive $27 million. Those payouts are part of FIFA’s record prize fund of almost $900 million for the 2026 tournament.

Every team at the World Cup receives prize money based on where it finishes, meaning even nations eliminated before the semifinals leave with some financial reward.

Whether it’s France, Spain, Argentina or England that misses out on the final, their World Cup campaign won’t end with the semifinal whistle and a well-deserved vacation will have to wait.

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