Real Madrid and Fluminense will both exit the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup without contesting a third-place match, as the tournament will not feature a bronze medal game.
This follows their respective semi-final defeats: Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Real Madrid 4-0, while Chelsea secured a 2-0 win over Fluminense. With these results, Chelsea and PSG will battle for the title in Sunday’s final at MetLife Stadium.
Unlike other major international tournaments where semi-final losers vie for a third-place finish, FIFA has opted to omit this fixture from the revamped Club World Cup format.
Explaining the decision, FIFA stated: “There will be no third-place match, or bronze final, at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025. For the inaugural edition of 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.”
This means both Madrid and Fluminense will return to their respective countries ahead of schedule, with no further matches to play in the competition.
