We are down to just four sides left battling for glory at Euro 2024.
After almost a month of action, Spain, France, England and the Netherlands remain in the race for the European Championship trophy.
Spain vs. France is the first semifinal in Munich on Tuesday, before the Three Lions meet the Dutch on the other side of the bracket in Dortmund 24 hours later.
The two winners will then lock horns for the right to lift the Henri Delaunay trophy on Sunday, July 14. But what happens to the losers — will the two losing semifinalists get to play for a consolation bronze medal?
The Sporting News has all the answers...
Is there a third-place match at Euro 2024?
The World Cup traditionally includes a third-place match, typically scheduled the day before the grand final.
At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Croatia secured third place by defeating Morocco. Similarly, Gareth Southgate's England competed for third place in the 2018 World Cup, but fell short, losing 2-0 to Belgium.
The same goes for this summer's Copa America in the USA, which always consoles losing semifinalists with a third-place game.
However, there is no third-place game at the European Championship this year. And this isn't a recent change; the Euros have not featured a third-place playoff game since 1980.
In other words, the teams who have reached the semifinals won't have to worry about the unfancied "losers' play-off". Instead, national teams who fail to make the final will simply be heading home.
UEFA does not distinguish between the two losing semifinalists, and they share a ranking in the tournament.Their finishing positions are both officially recorded as third place.
Why was third-place match at European Championship scrapped?
The decision to scrap a third-place match at the European Championship was made to streamline the tournament and cut down the number of needless matches. The rationale for getting rid of the bronze-medal match was the lack of enthusiasm from fans for such a game.
UEFA took the decision after the 1980 tournament held in Italy. That third-place match saw the hosts lose 9-8 on penalties to Czechoslovakia, following a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes. TV viewers were hardly interested in the game, even though it was a thrilling climax with the host nation playing. The attendance in the ground was low as well.
The governing body of European football deemed that the third-place playoff did not generate significant interest or excitement among fans and players. There have since been 10 European Championships played without a third-place playoff, with 2024 being the 11th.
History of previous third-place Euros matches
That last third-place playoff European Championship game saw hosts Italy lose an epic penalty shootout to Czechoslovakia 9-8 after a 1-1 draw, while previously third places went to the Netherlands (1976), Belgium (1972), England (1968), Hungary (1964) and Czechoslovakia again (1960).
| Year | Host | Third-place playoff |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | France | Czechoslovakia 2–0 France |
| 1964 | Spain | Hungary 3–1 Denmark (a.e.t) |
| 1968 | Italy | England 2–0 Soviet Union |
| 1972 | Belgium | Belgium 2–1 Hungary |
| 1976 | Yugoslavia | Netherlands 3–2 Yugoslavia (a.e.t.) |
| 1980 | Italy | Czechoslovakia 1–1(9–8 pens) Italy |
When is Euro 2024 final?
The Euro 2024 final is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 14. The championship match will be held at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, with kickoff scheduled for 9:00 pm local time in Germany.
With no third-place playoff game, once the semifinals are done all eyes will be firmly fixed on this ultimate showdown to determine the winner of Euro 2024.