Why is there a third place match at World Cup? Explaining debate around FIFA's 'most pointless game in sport'

The excitement surrounding a World Cup final is unrivalled in international soccer with Qatar 2022 all set for a crunch showdown in Lusail on December 18.

Defending champions France will face Argentina for the title after the claimed impressive wins in the semifinals. 

That has left Croatia and Morocco to battle it out in the dreaded third place match the day before the final.

With no silverware up for grabs, it's a game of little importance but has become a firm fixture of World Cups for decades now. 

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What is the World Cup third place match for?

The third place playoff match has been a feature of World Cups since 1954. 

The game bears all the hallmarks of two sides not wanting to be involved given that it's a match between the two teams who were beaten in the semifinals. Even with a bronze medal on offer, it's a game nobody particularly wants to play.

Despite some fans and players objecting to the match, FIFA has indicated it will keep the fixture for the 2026 World Cup.

Why does FIFA insist on the match?

The primary reason for FIFA's insistence on continuing with this uninspiring fixture, featuring the two losing semifinalists, is financial.

According to reports from Spanish outlet Diario AS, the financial injection FIFA receives from broadcasters and sponsors is substantial, with each competing nation's FA also granted a cash boost.

The winners of the game (third place) collect an estimated $27 million (£22m), with the losers, (fourth place) receiving $25m (£20.4m). 

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When is the 2022 World Cup third place playoff?

The 2022 World Cup third place playoff will take place on December 17, with kickoff set at 18:00 local time in Qatar.

Here's how that is reflected in time zones across the globe.

* Following day

World Cup playoffs: An unusual history

There is a tendency to view the third place match as one of the more boring fixtures in World Cup history, with France's 4-2 win over Belgium in 1986 the first time it stretched into extra time. Still, it does often become one of the highest-scoring matches at a tournament given the two teams have somewhat less of an incentive to keep things tight and avoid conceding: the lowest-scoring of these games finished 1-0, on three occasions, and the last of those was in 1974.

England's semifinal heartbreak against West Germany was compounded by defeat to hosts Italy in the 'wooden spoon game' in 1990, but the 2002 fixture featured an unexpected piece of World Cup history, as Turkey's Hakan Sukur scored the tournament's fastest goal, after just 11 seconds, against South Korea.

In the previous World Cup in Russia, Belgium defeated England 2-0 to claim third place.