Why the European Championships Lacks Third-Place Playoffs and Bronze Medals

As the Euro 2024 in Germany reaches its ending stages, only few matches remain. With the semi-final ties having been concluded, the stage is set for the final match on Sunday between England and Spain in Berlin, where the champion will be crowned.

Notably, there will be no third-place playoff, with the losing semi-finalists exiting the tournament directly, just like other eliminated teams.

This is very different from other major international competitions like the World Cup, Copa America, and the African Cup of Nations, all of which feature a third-place playoff.

UEFA’s decision to eliminate the third-place playoff from the European Championships started in 1980. That year, Czechoslovakia defeated hosts Italy 9-8 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in normal time. The match, however, generated little interest in terms of stadium attendance and television viewership. And as a result, UEFA chose to stop the third-place playoff for future tournaments.

Up until 1980, bronze medals were awarded to the third-place team. In 2008, UEFA briefly resumed the practice of awarding medals to the semi-final losers, with Turkey and Russia receiving them. This also continued in Euro 2012, where Germany and Portugal were the recipients. However, from Euro 2016 onwards, UEFA decided to permanently stop the awarding of bronze medals.

As a result, at Euro 2024, the tradition of third-place play-offs and bronze medals will remain absent, consistent with UEFA’s already laid down policy.