The World Cup champion for 2026 will be determined on Sunday when Argentina faces Spain. However, before that there will be a third place game featuring England and France from Miami.
My initial question to FIFA is simple. Why is this game being played? Does England or France actually care if they finish in third or fourth place? After both teams gave it their all in the semifinals this past week, the fact they have to play on Saturday would seem to be an emotional letdown.
After playing in the World Cup for a full month, the last thing England or France would want to do is to play this third place game. Proponents of the game say it is important when it comes to the Golden Boot. The Golden Boot is a personal achievement, and not a team prize. Who comes to the World Cup and say, “I have come to win the Golden Boot!” Not many.
The third place game has been at every World Cup since 1954. It takes place because it has traditional value. Well, changes have been in recent World Cups and I don’t think FIFA cares too much about tradition. The fact that the 2026 World Cup contains 48 teams is utterly ridiculous. It is further insane that they are thinking of expanding the tournament to 64 teams in 2030. It used to be prestigious to qualify for the World Cup. It is not prestigious anymore.
I will not be watching the third place game at the World Cup on Saturday. Instead, I will be focused on a different type of football–a Canadian Football League regular season game between the Calgary Stampeders and Montreal Alouettes.
