Is there a worse game to lose in football than a World Cup semi-final?
The 2026 tournament has been a celebration of the beautiful game but only two teams can make it to the showpiece match, with the rest set to suffer a heartbreaking exit along the way.
Falling at the last hurdle is surely the most gut-wrenching way to go of all. In the immortal words of Skinner and Baddiel: “No plans for final day, stay in bed, drift away.”
The road doesn’t necessarily end there, however, as there is the prospect of the third-place play-off between the two losing semi-finalists.
It’s a divisive concept and has been ditched by the European Championships, but will one be played at this summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States?
Radio Times has all you need to know about World Cup 2026, including whether there’s a third-place play-off.
Is there a third-place play-off at World Cup 2026?
Yes, unlike the European Championships, there is a third-place play-off at World Cup 2026 – with a bronze medal set to be handed out to the winners.
The match between the two losing semi-finalists will be played at Miami Stadium on Saturday 18 July, the day before the final, with kick-off at 10pm.
Croatia are the last team to win a third-place play-off at the World Cup, having beaten Morocco four years ago.
England lost 2-0 to Belgium in the third-place play-off at the 2018 tournament, which was the first under Gareth Southgate.
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Authors
Ned is a sports writer at RadioTimes.com. He has covered a host of sports from EFL football, international cricket and golf all the way through to bike polo and triathlon.
