World Cup: Why is there a third-place playoff between France and England?

When was it introduced, does it have an impact on the Golden Boot race and what do the managers think?France play England on Saturday in the 2026 World Cup’s third-place playoff – or “bronze final” as FIFA now calls it – after losing their respective semifinals.Most players and fans of defeated semifinalists just want to go home although some teams welcome an opportunity to play one final World Cup game and see finishing third in the tournament as a genuine achievement.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Argentina’s Falklands banner sparks controversy at World Cuplist 2 of 4‘Epic squared’: Scaloni lauds Argentina’s back-to-back World Cup comebackslist 3 of 4Argentina stun England in 2-1 comeback win to reach 2026 World Cup finallist 4 of 4Beauty and grace: Spain prodigy Lamine Yamal’s game lives up to his nameend of listThe game could also have implications for the Golden Boot race.Here’s everything you need to know about the third-place playoff:Why is there a third-place playoff at the World Cup?It is an opportunity for a team to claim a figurative bronze medal and podium finish and is theoretically an exciting match-up between two top teams.An extra game is also an opportunity for FIFA and the host city to generate more revenue and helps broadcasters fill a scheduling gap between Wednesday’s last semifinal and Sunday’s final.When was the third-place playoff introduced?It was first introduced in the second World Cup in 1934 when Germany beat Austria 3-2 to take third place.While the playoff was also held in 1938, the last tournament before a hiatus due to World War II, it was not held at the following 1950 edition.It was reinstated in 1954 and has been at every World Cup since.Does it have an impact on the Golden Boot race?Goals scored in the third-place playoff count in the race for the Golden Boot because it is a sanctioned World Cup game.In 1958, Just Fontaine scored four goals for France in their 6-3 win over Germany" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="52310" data-entity-type="location">West Germany, which helped him set the still-standing record of 13 goals scored by a single player in a World Cup.