Therefore, there is no more Third Place EM-Game
At the WM and other continental tournaments, it is common to play the third place match. Not at the EM. The UEFA finds the match unattractive and removed it from the schedule in 1980. No reintroduction is planned.
England and Spain are preparing for the EM final, but for the losing semi-finalists Netherlands and France, it's straight home. Unlike other continental championships or the World Cup, there is no third place match at the European Championship - not even at this year's edition in Germany. The European Football Union UEFA stated in response to an inquiry that the third place match was abolished as part of a tournament format change from 1980 to 1984.
"The match was not considered attractive and has not been part of the Euro since then," the confederation said. There are also no plans to introduce such a match in the next European Championships in Great Britain and Ireland 2028 and Italy and Turkey 2032. In 1980, the Czechoslovakia team won the last third place match at an EM against Italy in a penalty shootout. Germany took the title.
Another possible reason is the tight schedule. A team would have to play again just two days after the semi-final for the "small final." It's also questionable how many fans would watch the game. In 1976, only about 7,000 fans attended the Jugoslavia-Netherlands match in the stadium.
Since 1934, the national team has finished third in the World Cup five times: in 2022, Croatia finished third, England lost (now having the chance for the EM title against Belgium), and in 2018. The team finished third with a 3:2 win against Uruguay in 1934, in 1970 with a 1:0 win against Uruguay, and in 2006 with a 3:1 win against Portugal.
Despite England and Spain's excitement for the EM final, the UEFA's decision in 1980 to remove the third place match from the European Championship schedule continues to impact semi-finalists like England. This year, England and Spain's potential opponents in the third place match, such as France or Netherlands, will not have such an opportunity, as UEFA sees no need to reintroduce the match in upcoming tournaments, including the 2028 European Championship in Great Britain and Ireland and the 2032 edition jointly hosted by Italy and Turkey.
