England will head to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup aiming to improve on their fourth-place in Russia, but how have recent losers of the bronze medal match fared in the next edition?
Well, no country that has lost a third-place play-off has gone on to win the World Cup that immediately follows since Italy in 1982. Brazil beat the Azzurri 2-1 to finish third in 1978, as host nation Argentina won their first title by beating the Netherlands 3-1 after extra-time.
Italy took global revenge four years later in Spain to lift their third World Cup title, beating West Germany 3-1. France would finish fourth that year behind Poland. But Les Bleus only improved to finish third at Mexico 1986, behind West Germany and champions Argentina.
No nation has yet repeated Italy’s 1982 path to World Cup glory and go from fourth-place to the top. England will now need to use the Azzurri’s route as their muse in Qatar, after finishing fourth in Russia as France lifted their second title ahead of Croatia and Belgium.
England last ranked fourth in a World Cup before 2018 during the 1990 edition in Italy. The Three Lions topped Group F, before wins over Belgium in the last 16 and Cameroon in the quarter-finals. They lost to eventual champions West Germany on penalties in the semis.
West Germany entered the competition after finishing runners-up to Argentina four-years earlier. France, meanwhile, went to Russia in 2018 after losing to Germany in the quarter-finals of their prior edition in 2014, as Die Mannschaft went on to secure their fourth title.
Russia 2018: England take first fourth-place at a World Cup in 38-years
The Russia World Cup in 2018 saw England advance through to the semi-finals before a 2-1 defeat to Croatia after extra-time. The Three Lions made the penultimate round as Group G runners-up, before wins over Colombia and Sweden. Croatia edged Denmark and Russia.
Belgium pipped England to first in Group G and would again pip Gareth Southgate’s side in the third-place play-off 2-0. The Red Devils lost 1-0 to France in their semi-final, before Les Bleus beat Croatia 4-2 in the final for their first World Cup title since the 1998 tournament.
France had only featured in one final between their successes in 1998 and 2018, losing 5-3 on penalties to Italy in 2006. They then finished bottom of Group A in 2010 and lost in the quarter-finals of the 2014 edition to Germany. Defender Mats Hummels had the only goal.
Brazil 2014: Netherlands beat host nation to claim third
Football headed to South America in 2014 as Brazil hosted the 20th ever edition of the Fifa World Cup. But the Selecao could only advance as far as the semi-finals before a brutal 7-1 loss to Germany. The host nation then lost to the Netherlands in the third-place play-off.
Brazil could only respond in Russia by reaching the quarter-finals, before losing to Belgium. Holland, meanwhile, bowed out in Brazil to Argentina 4-2 on penalties in the semi-final tie, with Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder missing from the spot before Maxi Rodriguez’s winner.
Mario Gotze ensured a European nation finished atop the world in South America, sealing Germany a 1-0 win over Argentina. Die Mannschaft had finished in third four-years earlier.
South Africa 2010: Germany edge Uruguay for bronze medal
Uruguay fared worse than the Selecao in Brazil 2014 as the nation which ended the prior World Cup in fourth. La Celeste would only reach the last 16 in South America before a 2-0 defeat to Colombia. They edged Italy and England to finish behind Costa Rica in Group D.
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The 2010 tournament in South Africa had seen Uruguay go as far as the semi-finals before losing to the Netherlands. Spain pipped Germany in the other semi-final, before Joachim Lowe’s Mannschaft took the bronze medal from Uruguay with a 3-2 win in Port Elizabeth.
Spain enjoyed a large leap in World Cup finishes to win the 2010 edition in South Africa. La Roja’s previous tournament in 2006 saw the country lose in the last 16 to finalists France.
Germany 2006: Hosts pip Portugal 3-1 for third-place
England will hope to avoid repeating Uruguay’s last 16 exit, a fate that also befell Portugal in 2010. Spain beat the Selecao in the first knockout game of the South Africa edition, as La Roja went on to lift their first title through Andres Iniesta in the final with the Netherlands.
Portugal had enjoyed a run to the semi-finals four-years previous in Germany before losing 1-0 to France. Their route included eliminating the Three Lions on penalties in the quarter-finals. But the Selecao would finish with a third-place play-off loss to host nation Germany.
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Italy would eventually edge France in the final 5-3 on penalties, after a 1-1 draw following extra-time. The Azzurri set the example for Spain to follow in 2010, by losing in the last 16 of the 2002 World Cup to joint-host nation South Korea 2-1 after sudden death extra-time.
South Korea and Japan 2002: Turkey take third from South Korea
South Korea made it to the final-four of the 2002 World Cup they joint-hosted with Japan. Germany, Brazil and Turkey also reached the semi-finals, before Die Mannschaft and the Selecao beat the Warriors and Crescent-Stars respectively. Brazil then beat Germany 2-0.
Like Germany would deny South Korea a place in the final, Turkey would deny the Warriors a top-three finish. South Korea have not gone as far in a World Cup since, having failed to get out of the group stage in 2006, 2014 and 2018. They also exited in the last 16 in 2010.
Brazil arrived in South Korea and Japan seeking revenge after losing to France in the 1998 final. Croatia also pipped the Netherlands to third in the France tournament. Holland then failed to qualify for the 2002 South Korea and Japan edition, their first absence since 1986.
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