I don't see the point in playing it myself. If I was a player on the losing team in the semi, the last thing I would want to do is play another match which is basically a glorified friendly.

Does anyone else think it should be scrapped in 2018?

Nah, it's can be a good, free-flowing match with the pressure off.

Can people stop asking for everything to be scrapped?

The rate we are asking for things to be scrapped all we will be left with is Jonathan Pearce.

And Lawro.

Surely they were the first two things people wanted scrapping?

I read that back in the last century they used to just say the team that lost in the semis to the eventual winners was 3rd and the other losing semi-finalist was 4th.

Was just about to say the same thing.


Stop trying to change things, DS. It won't make the world a better place.

This.

Can we scrap these threads please?

Correct. The place was littered with threads calling for the pair of them to be scrapped before this suggestion. My bad.

It's there to make FIFA money.

Can we cut off a wing on a plane?

Absolutely pointless game, I always believed it should be scrapped.

After the semis, all the media are focused on the final, so the game is largely ignored (does anyone particularly remember England's match 1990 ? I don't for sure).

You don't have 3rd place in other football cup competitions.

Also allows a player who is no longer in with a chance to win the Cup a chance to add to their goals and potentially win the Golden boot, which I disagree with.

My favourite goal of all time was scored in the 1978 3rd place match (Nelinho).

Matters if there's a Bronze medal in it (I offer you the GB women's curling team...could have won but were overjoyed with Bornze) but that's not the case here.

One solution could be to guarantee the winners, second and third-placed teams entry to the following World Cup, which would, of course, make the qualifying for everyone else that much harder as 3 - 4 places would already be taken, so that's some prize.

In 1984 we got hockey bronze, did you know that Howard?

Just might have.

Plenty in that team went on to do a touch better...

FIFA probably need it to gain more revenue.

And phil Neville

Perhaps if they just scrapped people being being compelled to watch the third place playoff everyone would be happy?

I wouldn't mind seeing a Brazil v Argentina third place play off, there's no such thing as a friendly between these two.

I would be totally against scrapping the third place match, what is wrong with it anyway? It is an extra match, usually involving good teams and it gives other players who have not had a game a run out. Leave well enough alone I say.

Or alternatively it could be Germany vs Holland. No love lost between those 2 nations either so it would also make a great match.

I do take the point about the golden boot though. 3rd place playoff shouldn't count towards that.

So the only positive of the 3rd place play off is if two teams who hate each other play each other...

It an old tradition, having the best of three: Gold, Silver, Bronze.

I don't mind it. The teams play for pride; a final illustration of what they can do. Plus, it's a match to release the frustration of losing a semi-final, by making up for it, in final game of redemption.

I think for the fans it's good, but for the players, you've just lost a world cup semi final, you just want to go home and take a break from it for a few days, but you have to play a meaningless game to finish 3rd.
If you were a player would you want to play it?