As England prepare to face France in the third-place play-off at the 2026 World Cup, we've taken a look at the previous results and winners of the match nobody wants to play.
England fell at the semi-final stage for the third time since winning the 1966 World Cup as they suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Argentina in Atlanta.
When Anthony Gordon broke the deadlock ten minutes after half-time, England supporters were dreaming of the final and a chance for revenge on Spain following the defeat in the Euro 2024 final.
But England blew their golden opportunity as Thomas Tuchel opted to sit on the one-nil lead rather than press home their advantage.
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez equalised with five minutes to go, before Lautaro Martinez found himself unmarked to head home the winner in injury time.
They take on France in the Bronze Medal match on Saturday after they lost 2-0 to Spain in their semi-final.
It's a match that has been historically positioned as a consolation prize for the losing semi-finalists, but in reality it is more of a damp squib for two sets of players who had been one game away from a World Cup final.
England's record in third-place play-off matches
Saturday's match against France will be the third time that England have competed in the third-place play-off at the World Cup.
The first of those instances came at Italia '90 when England came up against hosts Italy following their penalty shootout defeat to West Germany.
A mistake from Peter Shilton gifted Roberto Baggio a goal in the 71st minute, before David Platt equalised with a header nine minutes from time.
However, Italy grabbed the winner in the 86th minute courtesy of a Toto Schillachi spot-kick.
England's other experience of the fixture was at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The Three Lions had suffered a 2-1 defeat to Croatia in the semi-finals and, like this year's defeat to Argentina, it was a game where they had taken the lead.
The 2018 third-place play-off pitted them against Belgium and they were comfortably beaten 2-0 courtesy of goals from Thomas Meunier and Eden Hazard.
World Cup Third Place Play-off Previous Winners
- 1930: No third-place play-off (USA finished third following FIFA ruling based on overall record)
- 1934: Germany 3-2 Austria
- 1938: Brazil 4-2 Sweden
- 1950: No third-place play-off
- 1954: Austria 3-1 Uruguay
- 1958: France 6-3 West Germany
- 1962: Chile 1-0 Yugoslavia
- 1966: Portugal 2-1 Soviet Union
- 1970: West Germany 1-0 Uruguay
- 1974: Poland 1-0 Brazil
- 1978: Brazil 2-1 Italy
- 1982: Poland 3-2 France
- 1986: France 4-2 Belgium
- 1990: Italy 2-1 England
- 1994: Sweden 4-0 Bulgaria
- 1998: Croatia 2-1 Netherlands
- 2002: Turkey 3-2 South Korea
- 2006: Germany 3-1 Portugal
- 2010: Germany 3-2 Uruguay
- 2014: Netherlands 3-0 Brazil
- 2018: Belgium 2-0 England
- 2022: Croatia 2-1 Morocco
