England was knocked out of the World Cup in painful fashion on Wednesday, surrendering two goals in the final 15 minutes of its semifinal clash with Argentina. Making matters more painful? The Three Lions weren’t actually “knocked out.”
A day before, France surprisingly exited stage left in a 2-0 defeat to Spain. But Les Bleus can’t go home either.
Instead, France and England will square off on Saturday in Miami—a clash of zombies in the World Cup’s third-place game, or what FIFA is trying to brand as “the bronze final.”
In Friday’s Club Sportico essay, we look at the history and economics of the World Cup loser’s bracket. Other leagues used to have similar contests at the end of their postseasons, but scrapped them in favor of expanded playoffs. Could the World Cup’s third-place match be the next to go?
Here is an excerpt of that essay ✍️:
