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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Ben James

Is there a third place play-off match at Euro 2020?

England and Italy will face each other on Sunday in the final of Euro 2020.

However, for losing semi-finalists Denmark and Spain, there's no third place play-off this weekend.

Just like Wales found out in 2016, there's no extra game for those who fall at the penultimate hurdle.

Why is there no third-place play-off?

The European Championships did used to have a third-place game when they started back in 1960 - continuing the tradition until 1980.

That year saw Czechoslovakia beat Italy 9-8 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Rome.

However, due to little interest in the game, the decision was made to scrap if from future tournaments.

Do other tournaments have play-offs?

The Euros is the only major international tournament that does not have a third-place playoff.

The World Cup, Copa America and African Cup of Nations all make teams play for third place, normally the day before the final.

Teams will tend to use third-place playoffs as an chance to give squad players the chance to feature in the tournament, with the fixture rarely being treated as a must-win match.

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