Croatia and Morocco will play the third-place play-off at the 2022 World Cup this Saturday. So, HITC Football has taken a look at the last seven winners, including Sweden and Turkey.
FIFA has held a play-off to determine the bronze medal winners at every World Cup bar its inaugural tournament and the 1950 edition. The 1930 edition also remains the only one to see FIFA settle third place based on the goal differential of the two beaten semi-final sides.
But FIFA did not officially recognise the USA as the third-place finisher for the 1930 World Cup until 1986. The governing body published a table of all classified places after Argentina beat West Germany in the 1986 final. It had the USA in third ahead of Yugoslavia for 1930.
Will there be a third-place play-off at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar?
FIFA also agreed to a change of format for the first World Cup after World War II in Brazil in 1950. The tournament featured four groups containing the mere 13 qualified teams before a second group stage. Each of the top-ranked teams played each other in one further game.
So, Croatia and Morocco will now play the 20th third-place play-off at a World Cup at the 22nd edition of FIFA’s tournament. The governing body has not removed the tie since its introduction outside of 1950 as it bridges the gap between the two semi-finals and final.
It was not on the schedule at Uruguay 1930, though, so FIFA retrospectively awarded third to the USA over Yugoslavia. Both sides lost 6-1 in the semi-finals to Argentina and Uruguay, who won the title. But the USA had conceded one fewer goal during the only earlier round.
The past 19 World Cup third-place play-offs before Qatar 2022 saw Germany (including as West Germany) feature in the most. Die Mannschaft have contested the fixture five times. They have also won the most with four ahead of Brazil with three from the next-most four.
Croatia have previously played in the third-place play-off at the 1998 World Cup in France. Morocco had not advanced beyond the Round of 16 before becoming the first African side to play in a World Cup semi-final at Qatar 2022. They made the knockouts at Mexico 1986.
So, with Morocco set to contest their first third-place play-off at a World Cup with Croatia, HITC Football has taken a look back at the last seven winners the Atlas Lions could follow…
Belgium are the last winner of the World Cup third-place play-off in 2018
Belgium are the last winner of the third-place play-off at a World Cup ahead of Morocco and Croatia’s encounter at Qatar 2022. The Red Devils beat England 2-0 at Russia 2018 for the bronze medal and to achieve their best finish. Belgium’s previous best was fourth in 1986.
Thomas Meunier (4’) and Eden Hazard (82’) hit home early and late on at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg. While like in 2022 with Morocco and Croatia both emerging from Group F, Belgium and England also met in the first round after clashing in Group G.
Adnan Januzaj (51’) settled the first-round fixture between Belgium and England at Russia 2018 to top Group G. The Red Devils had already beaten Panama 3-0 and Tunisia 5-2. They also went on to eliminate Japan 3-2 and Brazil 2-1 before losing to France in the semi-final.
The Netherlands beat Brazil 3-0 as the winners of the 2014 third-place play-off
Brazil hosted the World Cup in 2014 and reached the semi-finals as Neymar lifted a nation. But the forward and poster boy for the tournament missed their last four tie with Germany after breaking his back. Die Mannschaft went on to beat the Selecao 7-1 in a brutal display.
The Netherlands would ultimately follow Brazil into the bronze medal match after losing to Argentina in their semi. Oranje also emerged as the winners over Brazil in their third-place play-off at the 2014 World Cup. It also only took Robin Van Persie three minutes to score.
Van Persie dispatched an early penalty after Thiago Silva had pulled Arjen Robben back to break the deadlock. Daley Blind (17’) soon doubled the Netherlands’ lead with his first goal for Oranje after David Luiz’s poor clearance. Georginio Wijnaldum (90+1) finished their job.
Germany were last the third-place play-off winners at the 2010 World Cup
Croatia and Morocco may hope they can follow in the footsteps of the winners of the 2010 World Cup third-place play-off, Germany. Die Mannschaft beat Uruguay 3-2 for the bronze medal in South Africa before going on to claim the World Cup title in Brazil four years later.
Thomas Muller and Diego Forlan would also secure a share of the Golden Boot in the third-place play-off. The pair, along with Wesley Sneijder and David Villa, all scored five goals at the 2010 World Cup. Villa’s Spain went on to edge Sneijder’s Netherlands 1-0 in the final.
Muller’s (19’) goal broke the deadlock as Germany became four-time winners of the third-place play-off at a World Cup. But Edinson Cavani (28’) responded before Forlan (51’) put Uruguay ahead. Yet Marcell Jansen (56’) and Sami Khedira (82’) restored Germany’s lead.
Germany were back-to-back World Cup third-place play-off winners in 2010
Germany’s 3-2 win over Uruguay during the 2010 World Cup saw Die Mannschaft become back-to-back winners of the third-place play-off. The 2014 World Cup winners also finished third at the 2006 edition as the host nation. They beat Portugal 3-1 in the third-place clash.
Bastian Schweinsteiger (58’, 78’) struck a brace at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion in Stuttgart to open and finish Germany’s scoring. The midfielder lashed in on either side of Petit’s own goal on 60 minutes. Nuno Gomes eventually pulled one goal back for Portugal in the 88th.
Germany were within minutes of avoiding a third-place play-off when they lost to Italy in the semi-finals. The Azzurri destroyed a host nation’s hopes when Fabio Grosso (119’) and Alessandro Del Piero (120+1’) beat Jens Lehmann at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund.
Turkey denied South Korea a medal as the co-host nation finished fourth in 2002
South Korea and Japan co-hosted the first World Cup in Asia during 2002 as FIFA sought to take it to new territories. But while the Samurai Blue lost to Turkey in the Round of 16, the Taegeuk Warriors reached the semi-finals. Yet their path was not all that straightforward.
Questionable refereeing littered South Korea’s campaign as they eliminated Italy in sudden death extra time in the Round of 16 and Spain on penalties in the quarter-finals. Germany would eventually put an end to the Taegeuk Warriors’ fairy tale with a 1-0 semi-final win.
Brazil beating Turkey in the other semi-final meant the Crescent Stars would meet another co-host in the third-place play-off. Turkey had built on their 1-0 win over Japan by beating Senegal 1-0 in sudden death extra time. But Ronaldo Nazario was guiding Brazil to the title.
It did not take Turkey long to signal their aim to upset South Korea at the Daegu World Cup Stadium. Hakan Sukur hit home inside the first minute to break the deadlock. Ilhan Mansiz (13’, 32’) then hit a brace between goals by Lee Eul-Yong (9’) and Song Chong-Gug (90+3’).
Croatia are among the last seven winners of the World Cup third-place play-off
Croatia face Morocco on Saturday and are also among the last seven winners of the World Cup third-place play-off. Vatreni edged the Netherlands in their only previous appearance in the bronze medal tie at France 1998. It was also Croatia’s debut at the FIFA tournament.
France 1998 was the first World Cup that Croatia could qualify for after they had declared independence from Yugoslavia. Vatreni have since exited in the group stages at the 2002, 2006 and 2014 tournaments. They failed to qualify in 2010 but reached the final in 2018.
FIFA drew Croatia in Group H in 1998 and the world saw an independent Croatia finish in second place to Argentina after beating Jamaica and Japan. Vatreni then came through ties with Romania 1-0 and Germany 3-0. But a 2-1 semi-final loss to France ended a dream run.
Not that it stopped Croatia from beating the Netherlands 2-1 in Paris to win the third-place play-off. Strikes from Robert Prosinecki (14’) and six-goal Golden Boot winner Davor Suker (36’) dealt the damage to Oranje on either side of Boudewijn Zenden’s 22nd-minute strike.
Sweden achieved their best finish since hosting the 1958 World Cup at USA 1994
Sweden were one of the most successful teams during the early editions of the World Cup. The Blagult finished fourth in 1938 and third in 1950 before finishing in second as the host nation in 1958. Yet they have only reached the semis once in their next eight appearances.
Sweden crashed out in the group stage in 1970, 1978 and 1990, while exiting in the second round in 1974, 2002 and 2006. Yet they are one of the last seven winners of the World Cup third-place play-off. Sweden took third in the USA in 1994 before failing to qualify in 1998.
The Blagult also reached the quarter-finals in 2018 after failing to qualify in 2010 and 2014, and again in 2022. Sweden will now hope to repeat their 1994 result when the World Cup returns to North America in 2026 when the USA, Mexico and Canada all co-host the event.
Sweden feature among the last seven winners of the third-place play-off as they thrashed Bulgaria at the World Cup in 1994. Tomas Brolin (8’), Hakan Mild (30’), Henrik Larsson (37’) and Kennet Andersson (39’) hit to hand the Blagult a 4-0 win at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
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