Is There at Third-Place Playoff At Euro 2024?

Euro 2024 will conclude on Sunday when England and Spain go head-to-head in the final in Berlin.

With fans having a few days wait until the final, many are wondering if there is a third-place playoff game at the Euros.

Unlike the World Cup, Copa America, and African Cup of Nations, there will be no third-place playoff at Euro 2024.

Third-Place Playoffs At The Euros Pre-1980

UEFA decided to discontinue the third-place play-off match in the European Championships from 1980 onwards. In that year, Czechoslovakia beat Italy 9-8 on penalties in the playoff following a 1-1 draw in regular time. The match, which was held in Italy, proved to be of little interest to the public, with disappointing stadium attendance and viewership on television. This prompted UEFA to discontinue third-place play-offs in future tournaments.

Bronze Medals At The Euros

Bronze medals used to be awarded to the team finishing third at the European Championships until the removal of the third-place match in 1980. UEFA briefly brought bronze medals back in 2008 and 2012, awarding medals to the semi-final losers – Turkey and Russia in 2008, and Germany and Portugal in 2012. However, they were again discontinued, and from Euro 2016 onwards, bronze medals were no longer awarded.

Third-Place Playoffs In Other Football Competitions

Copa America

Unlike the European Championships, the Copa America does have a third-place play-off. In 2021, this year’s finalists, Colombia, secured third place by beating Peru. The 2024 Copa America will see the third-place play-off held in Charlotte, North Carolina, between Canada vs Uruguay.

The final of Copa America will take place the day after the third-place playoff and will feature the defending champions Argentina, and Colombia.

WhichBookie’s football experts have been covering all games at this year’s Copa America and have shared their Argentina vs Colombia predictions along with a preview of the game.

World Cup and African Cup of Nations

Similarly, the FIFA World Cup and the African Cup of Nations feature third-place play-offs. Although not as nearly popular as the final, the games usually attract enough interest to warrant the fixtures.

The Euro 2024 Final

Spain and England have made it to the final of Euro 2024. Spain secured their spot by defeating France 2-1 in Munich, with goals from Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo. England reached the final by coming from behind to beat the Netherlands with a last-minute winner from Ollie Watkins in Dortmund.

You can find expected lineups, team news, a preview, and more about the game on our Spain vs England prediction page.

With no third-place playoff taking place at Euro 2024, the tournament is now over for losing semi-finalists, France & Netherlands.