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Can any football fans answer a question please? (World Cup)

157 replies

RevengeOfTheDirtyLaundry · 19/07/2026 08:21

My question is - why did no one seem particularly bothered about the World Cup 3rd place play-off last night, or the fact England won it (in some style, it seems)?

I haven't watched any of the World Cup and don't watch any other football, so I can't really see this from a fan's perspective. I get that there was huge disappointment about not reaching the Final, but surely 3rd place is a really good result.

3rd out of 48 teams - that's brilliant - people should be celebrating! Well done England, anyway.

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Nickyknackered · 19/07/2026 08:23

It is a good result and they should be proud. But essentially you're there to win it, especially the top teams eho feel they have a chance. Anything else will feel like a loss.

Hadalifeonce · 19/07/2026 08:26

Essentially, it's just a revenue stream. Of course England wanted to win it, it was a match against one of the top teams in the world, but in world cup terms, it means very little.

LezUlez · 19/07/2026 08:26

My DH said he wasn't going to bother, but I'm glad we did! It was a crazy brilliant game which surely is part of why we watch the World Cup, not just because we want our team to win. (Although for tonight...Come on SPAIN)

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DeeplyUnlikely · 19/07/2026 08:30

Hadalifeonce · 19/07/2026 08:26

Essentially, it's just a revenue stream. Of course England wanted to win it, it was a match against one of the top teams in the world, but in world cup terms, it means very little.

Exactly this.

Enrichetta · 19/07/2026 08:30

Never seen anything like it - and really entertaining. So it may not mean very much but I’m glad I watched it.

RevengeOfTheDirtyLaundry · 19/07/2026 08:34

Hadalifeonce · 19/07/2026 08:26

Essentially, it's just a revenue stream. Of course England wanted to win it, it was a match against one of the top teams in the world, but in world cup terms, it means very little.

You say they wanted to win, but this was a quote from both managers (BBC News:

France head coach Didier Deschamps summed up the mood in his camp before the game in Miami when he said: "The best for France and England would be for this match not to exist."

England manager Thomas Tuchel had a similar view after the defeat by Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday night, saying: "None of our players and none of the French players want to play this match."

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BashfulClam · 19/07/2026 08:34

Explained to me as 3rd place means nothing so the French team was mostly just guys who weren’t that good being able to have a game. A few good players then the guys who had been on the bench most of the time.

Enrichetta · 19/07/2026 08:35

BashfulClam · 19/07/2026 08:34

Explained to me as 3rd place means nothing so the French team was mostly just guys who weren’t that good being able to have a game. A few good players then the guys who had been on the bench most of the time.

Same for the English team…

RevengeOfTheDirtyLaundry · 19/07/2026 08:36

England have beaten 45 other teams - we are in the worldwide top 3 of football - isn't that something to be proud of?

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GotALionInMyPocket · 19/07/2026 08:38

And yet we played a great game and beat them. Maybe the managers/ coaches need to take note. The pressure is ridiculous.

MinnieCoops · 19/07/2026 08:38

It’s a loser’s medal. No one wants it or cares who gets it. It’s a dud.

hereforthelolz · 19/07/2026 08:38

Doesn't mean a lot - as the commentator said last night - nobody remembers who came 3rd and 4th last World Cup, and he commentated on it himself!

Was still a good game though and nice that some of the other players got a run out. Probably should have brought them out in the first place. Only reason they played Mbappe was for the golden boot.

GotALionInMyPocket · 19/07/2026 08:38

RevengeOfTheDirtyLaundry · 19/07/2026 08:36

England have beaten 45 other teams - we are in the worldwide top 3 of football - isn't that something to be proud of?

indeed 🙌

hahabahbag · 19/07/2026 08:39

Because it means nothing, it was added to make the organisers more money. Neither team fielded their best players.

Cairneyes · 19/07/2026 08:39

Apparently, They won 29 MILLION dollars for winning last night!

ffsmyheadhurts · 19/07/2026 08:39

Nickyknackered · 19/07/2026 08:23

It is a good result and they should be proud. But essentially you're there to win it, especially the top teams eho feel they have a chance. Anything else will feel like a loss.

It’s not, and they shouldn’t.

Wednesday night was a humiliating defeat and Tuchel should have been sacked there and then. Trying to use this as a consolation prize is hysterical. He, once again, tried to throw away a lead, we nearly lost after being 4-0 up at half time.

@RevengeOfTheDirtyLaundrythe reason nobody cares is because it doesn’t matter. Nobody remembers who finished third.

ffsmyheadhurts · 19/07/2026 08:40

RevengeOfTheDirtyLaundry · 19/07/2026 08:36

England have beaten 45 other teams - we are in the worldwide top 3 of football - isn't that something to be proud of?

No. If you don’t win the entire tournament it’s pointless.

CatamaranViper · 19/07/2026 08:40

It's kind of pointless. We will celebrate getting into the semi finals and be proud of that...people won't really remember who came 3rd, they will remember who played in the semis and final.
Mind, we did very well and im so proud of the lads

Limer · 19/07/2026 08:40

This puzzles me too. If football was a sport in the Olympics, and England had just won the bronze medal, it would be a lauded as a great achievement. Why is only the equivalent of the gold medal celebrated for the football World Cup (and Euros)?

SereneFinch · 19/07/2026 08:41

Because who cares about whether you finish third or fourth. It doesn’t matter to anyone does it?

That’s why the game is considered pointless.

The fact is was entertaining last night is a plus but it still doesn’t mean anything.

hahabahbag · 19/07/2026 08:41

Both teams had 7 changes to their starting line ups from the semi finals, they were contracted to play so used it to give players a game

SpinMeRightRoundBaybee · 19/07/2026 08:41

RevengeOfTheDirtyLaundry · 19/07/2026 08:36

England have beaten 45 other teams - we are in the worldwide top 3 of football - isn't that something to be proud of?

I don't think people aren't proud of them for getting 3rd place but once the anticipation of winning first place is removed the excitement just isn't there for many people anymore.
3rd place is consolation prize and just doesn't have the same buzz.

I am not a football fan generally, I don't have a league team but I always get sucked into the world cup excitement.

I didn't watch last night because I just wasn't that interested. I felt like coming 3rd or 4th isn't a huge difference and after the disappointment of the last match I just didn't want to watch.

When DH told me they were at 4-0 at half time it almost made it feel worse about the Argentina match, so I didn't switch on 🤣

ffsmyheadhurts · 19/07/2026 08:41

Limer · 19/07/2026 08:40

This puzzles me too. If football was a sport in the Olympics, and England had just won the bronze medal, it would be a lauded as a great achievement. Why is only the equivalent of the gold medal celebrated for the football World Cup (and Euros)?

No they wouldn’t. People only remember the gold medal winners.

TokyoSushi · 19/07/2026 08:42

It was an amazing match and England should be very proud, but football is very much a game about winning.

RevengeOfTheDirtyLaundry · 19/07/2026 08:43

Cairneyes · 19/07/2026 08:39

Apparently, They won 29 MILLION dollars for winning last night!

Blimey, I didn't know that! Does it go to the individuals personally or to the England squad as an organisation? Whichever, prize money like that must be something of a consolation for not winning!

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