Gauthier Delomez 06:00, December 17, 2022
Croatia and Morocco meet this Saturday to play the small final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with the aim of securing third place in the competition.
But is this third place only anecdotal?
Europe 1 is looking at what it will bring to the winning team on Saturday.
One last game for honor.
This Saturday at 4 p.m. (French time), Croatia and Morocco, losing semi-finalists of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, meet in Doha to play the traditional match for third place, after having faced each other for the first time. times in the group stage.
"A small final" for these two nations who hoped to play the grand final of the World Cup, but who lost respectively against Argentina and France.
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If the hopes of lifting the cup have gone for the Croats and the Moroccans, what are the reasons to motivate themselves one last time to grab a third place, symbolic on paper?
A check for $27 million
The first reason is primarily financial.
The president of Fifa Gianni Infantino specified last April the allocations given to the selections, according to their career in this World Cup.
Thus, the team that will bow this Saturday and will therefore finish in fourth place will pocket 25 million dollars, or approximately 23.55 million euros for its federation.
The one who wins, and who therefore takes third place, will receive a check for 27 million dollars, or just under 25.5 million euros.
Note that on Sunday, the winner of the Argentina-France match will win the tidy sum of 42 million dollars, or 39.5 million euros.
Honorary diploma and bronze medals
Besides the financial aspect, there is also an honorary value.
Concretely, in the event of victory this Saturday, Croatia or Morocco will receive, like the first and second teams, a diploma from Fifa stipulates the rules of the competition.
Also, players who take third place will win bronze medals, similar to what is done in other competitions such as the Olympic Games.
With the difference that they will not be on a podium on Sunday, after the final.
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End on a high note
Finally, taking third place in the World Cup also has a sporting interest.
This year, Morocco or Croatia will succeed Belgium, which dominated England in the small final in 2018. This result will also have historic significance and will be part of the legend of the World Cup, the most prestigious football competition in the world.
Also, winning third place in the competition will allow the victorious team to leave the world tournament on a good note, before embarking on the conquest of new objectives.