How Does the World Cup Third-Place Playoff Work?

The FIFA World Cup third-place playoff is a single consolation match contested between the two teams defeated in the semi-finals to determine the tournament’s bronze medalist and fourth-place finisher. Played under standard FIFA knockout regulations, the fixture requires 30 minutes of extra time followed by a penalty shootout if scores remain level after 90 minutes. Unlike the championship final, this match awards bronze medals rather than the trophy, serving as the final classification mechanism for the tournament’s last four teams.