France will not participate in the third-place play-off at Euro 2024 and officially return home, after being eliminated by Spain in the semi-finals.
The Euro 2024 semi-final between France and Spain ended in a 2-1 victory for La Roja. First-half goals from Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo saw Spain book their place in the final, where they will face the winner of the England-Netherlands tie.
After being eliminated from Euro 2024 by Spain in the semi-finals, France will not have a chance to compete for third place in the tournament. This decision was not made by France, but by UEFA, which removed the third-place play-off from the Euro schedule many years ago.
The third-place play-off was part of the European Football Championship, but was dropped after Euro 1980 in Italy. The final match was between hosts Italy and Czechoslovakia, which ended in a 1–1 draw after 90 minutes, with Czechoslovakia winning 9–8 on penalties.
However, the match did not receive significant fan interest. Television viewership was low and attendances were also below expectations, despite the home team being in action. This led to UEFA’s decision to remove the third-place play-off from future Euros.
UEFA has several good reasons for removing the third-place play-off from the Euros. First of all, after missing out on reaching the final, teams and fans often lose interest in competing for the bronze medal.
Furthermore, just days after a semi-final defeat, players may not be mentally ready to play another match, creating unnecessary psychological pressure. Removing this match also helps to reduce the pressure on an already tight tournament schedule.
At the same time, it allows organizers and fans to focus more on the final, increasing attention and expectations for the most important match of the tournament.
Ultimately, from an organizational perspective, dropping a match saves the organizers significant costs and resources.
All of these factors contributed to UEFA’s decision to maintain the tournament format without a third-place play-off, creating a more focused and efficient tournament.
UEFA’s decision to scrap the third-place play-off at the Euros has been in place for over 40 years and looks set to continue into the future. This means that France, as well as the other teams eliminated in the semi-finals of Euro 2024, will not have a chance to compete for third place.
While third place may be considered a success in retrospect, eliminating this match seems to have benefited the tournament and the teams involved. It allows teams to focus on the main goal – winning the title – and avoid what could be considered “extra” matches in an already intense and physically and mentally demanding tournament.
In this way, UEFA has created a focused and efficient tournament format where every match is decisive and attracts maximum interest from fans around the world.
