The FIFA Club World Cup final takes place Sunday, July 13 at MetLife Stadium with Paris Saint-Germain taking on Chelsea, but is there one more showcase game in store before a champion is crowned?
Unfortunately, for fans wanting one more game or Real Madrid and Fluminenese supporters wanting to see their team in action before a break, there won't be a third place game before the final. A contrast from FIFA's World Cup set to take place in North America next year. Not to mention, the old version of the tournament featured one as well. Instead, FIFA scrapped the idea for the new tournament.
"For the inaugural edition of the this elite global competition, FIFA decided not to include this match to ensure that clubs and players who do not make the final can transition to their next commitments as soon as possible," FIFA said in an announcement.
Given the crunched match calendar with the tournament's inclusion, and the heavy summer heat, a third place match isn't necessarily needed, but there's no opportunity for bragging rights which both semifinal losers might want given their disappointing exits.
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Fluminense were dispatched by their former player, Joao Pedro, as the Brazilian scored his first two Chelsea goals to book the first spot in the final. The second semifinal was a display of PSG's utter dominance this season. Real Madrid were helpless against Luis Enrique's free-flowing machine that's earned comparisons to Pep Guardiola's Barcelona.
With no third place match on the cards, the final will be the last piece of action for the tournament. Teams then go on break and will try to enjoy whatever rest they can before preseason begins. Chelsea have an opportunity to end their season on a high note, while PSG search for the cherry on top of their first European trophy.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Is There a FIFA Club World Cup Third Place Match? .
