When did third place match begin at the World Cup? What does winner receive?

Croatia and Morocco will meet in the third place match of the 2022 World Cup. Having a competition for third place is rare outside of Olympic sporting events, where there’s a bronze medal on the line. That begs the question: when did the third place match begin at the World Cup? We’ll break it down below.

History of third place match

The third place match of the World Cup has been in place since 1954. The winner of the 2022 third place match will receive $27 million compared to $25 million for fourth place.

Recent winners of the third place match include Belgium (2018), Netherlands (2014), Germany (2010 & 2006), and Turkey (2002).

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Croatia are marginally favored to beat Morocco and take home third place in the 2022 World Cup. Croatia have finished third in one previous instance, beating the Netherlands 2-1 in the third place match of 1998.