We are here with the complete List of All FIFA World Cup 3rd (Third Place) Winners in History. Winning the FIFA World Cup is the ultimate achievement in international football, but finishing third remains an impressive accomplishment. For teams eliminated in the semifinals, the third-place playoff provides one final opportunity to end their campaign with a victory and secure the bronze medal.
From Germany and Brazil to France and Croatia, several footballing giants have experienced the bittersweet feeling of finishing third. Here is the complete list of FIFA World Cup third-place winners in history.
FIFA World Cup 1934 – Germany
Third Place: Germany
Score: Germany 3–2 Austria
Fourth Place: Austria
Germany became the first nation to officially win a FIFA World Cup third-place playoff, defeating neighboring Austria 3–2 in Italy.
FIFA World Cup 1938 – Brazil
Third Place: Brazil
Score: Brazil 4–2 Sweden
Fourth Place: Sweden
Brazil secured their first World Cup top-three finish by beating Sweden 4–2 in the third-place match.
FIFA World Cup 1950 – Sweden
Third Place: Sweden
Result: Final group stage
Fourth Place: Spain
There was no traditional third-place playoff in 1950. Sweden finished third in the final-round group standings, ahead of fourth-placed Spain.
FIFA World Cup 1954 – Austria
Third Place: Austria
Score: Austria 3–1 Uruguay
Fourth Place: Uruguay
Austria recorded their best-ever World Cup finish by defeating two-time champions Uruguay 3–1.
FIFA World Cup 1958 – France
Third Place: France
Score: France 6–3 West Germany
Fourth Place: West Germany
France claimed third place in a nine-goal thriller, defeating defending champions West Germany 6–3.
FIFA World Cup 1962 – Chile
Third Place: Chile
Score: Chile 1–0 Soviet Union
Fourth Place: Soviet Union
Hosts Chile ended a memorable home World Cup campaign by beating the Soviet Union 1–0 to finish third.
FIFA World Cup 1966 – Portugal
Third Place: Portugal
Score: Portugal 2–1 Soviet Union
Fourth Place: Soviet Union
Portugal capped off their impressive World Cup debut with a 2–1 victory over the Soviet Union to secure the bronze medal.
FIFA World Cup 1970 – West Germany
Third Place: West Germany
Score: West Germany 1–0 Uruguay
Fourth Place: Uruguay
After losing a legendary semifinal against Italy, West Germany recovered to defeat Uruguay 1–0.
FIFA World Cup 1974 – Poland
Third Place: Poland
Score: Poland 1–0 Brazil
Fourth Place: Brazil
Poland completed a remarkable tournament by beating defending champions Brazil 1–0 in the third-place playoff.
FIFA World Cup 1978 – Brazil
Third Place: Brazil
Score: Brazil 2–1 Italy
Fourth Place: Italy
Brazil secured their second official World Cup third-place finish with a 2–1 victory over Italy.
FIFA World Cup 1982 – Poland
Third Place: Poland
Score: Poland 3–2 France
Fourth Place: France
Poland earned another bronze-medal finish after edging France 3–2 in an entertaining five-goal contest.
FIFA World Cup 1986 – France
Third Place: France
Score: France 4–2 England (a.e.t.)
Fourth Place: England
France defeated England 4–2 after extra time to secure third place in Mexico.
FIFA World Cup 1990 – Italy
Third Place: Italy
Score: Italy 2–1 England
Fourth Place: England
Hosts Italy recovered from their heartbreaking semifinal exit to defeat England 2–1 and finish third.
FIFA World Cup 1994 – Sweden
Third Place: Sweden
Score: Sweden 4–0 Bulgaria
Fourth Place: Bulgaria
Sweden produced one of the most dominant third-place playoff performances in World Cup history, beating Bulgaria 4–0.
FIFA World Cup 1998 – Croatia
Third Place: Croatia
Score: Croatia 2–1 Netherlands
Fourth Place: Netherlands
Croatia's first World Cup appearance as an independent nation ended with a memorable third-place finish following a 2–1 victory over the Netherlands.
FIFA World Cup 2002 – Turkey
Third Place: Turkey
Score: Turkey 3–2 South Korea
Fourth Place: South Korea
Turkey defeated co-hosts South Korea 3–2 to complete their best-ever World Cup campaign.
FIFA World Cup 2006 – Germany
Third Place: Germany
Score: Germany 3–1 Portugal
Fourth Place: Portugal
Hosts Germany ended their home World Cup on a high by beating Portugal 3–1 in Stuttgart.
FIFA World Cup 2010 – Germany
Third Place: Germany
Score: Germany 3–2 Uruguay
Fourth Place: Uruguay
Germany secured back-to-back World Cup third-place finishes with a thrilling 3–2 victory over Uruguay in South Africa.
FIFA World Cup 2014 – Netherlands
Third Place: Netherlands
Score: Netherlands 3–0 Brazil
Fourth Place: Brazil
The Netherlands responded to their semifinal elimination by comfortably defeating hosts Brazil 3–0.
FIFA World Cup 2018 – Belgium
Third Place: Belgium
Score: Belgium 2–0 England
Fourth Place: England
Belgium achieved their best World Cup finish at the time by defeating England 2–0 in the third-place playoff.
FIFA World Cup 2022 – Croatia
Third Place: Croatia
Score: Croatia 2–1 Morocco
Fourth Place: Morocco
Croatia followed their runner-up finish in 2018 by securing third place in Qatar, beating surprise semifinalists Morocco 2–1.
What Happened With Third Place at the 1930 FIFA World Cup?
The inaugural 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay remains the only edition that did not feature an official third-place playoff.
The United States and Yugoslavia were eliminated in the semifinals, both losing 6–1. The USA fell to Argentina, while eventual champions Uruguay defeated Yugoslavia. No playoff was held between the two losing semifinalists.
In 1986, FIFA's technical committee reviewed historical World Cup records to establish retrospective tournament rankings. The United States were subsequently listed in third place and Yugoslavia in fourth based on their respective overall tournament records.
Therefore, while the United States are historically recognized as finishing third in 1930, they never actually won a third-place playoff.
France or England Will Join the List Next
The latest chapter in FIFA World Cup third-place history is about to be written, with Kylian Mbappe's France and Harry Kane's England set to battle for the bronze medal.
France have previously finished third in 1958 and 1986, while England have endured three fourth-place finishes, in 1986, 1990 and 2018.
For both nations, the upcoming game represents a chance to recover from the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup final. One will end the tournament with a victory and a bronze medal, while the other will suffer another defeat.
Either way, Mbappe's France or Kane's England will become the latest entry on this special yet unfortunate list of teams that came agonizingly close to the World Cup final but still managed to leave the tournament with a place on the podium.
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