FIFA refuses to scrap WC 3rd place play-off game

Johannesburg: FIFA insists that it has no plans to scrap the World Cup third-place play-off game, claiming that the match still offers "prestige and pride".

Germany and Uruguay will contest the game after losing their respective semi-finals to Spain and Netherlands. The two teams will meet on Saturday at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, but critics have labelled the match as pointless.However, FIFA is adamant that there is a reason for the losing semi-finalists to play an extra fixture. "There is still prestige and pride at stake. Many fans will still be there to watch it and a third-place finish is better than a lot of countries have achieved," Sport24 quoted a FIFA official as having told The Times."There are world-ranking points at stake, too. Uruguay are 16th in the table, but another win on Saturday, added to their progress to the semi-finals, could take them closer to a top-10 place. There is definitely something to play for," the source added. ANI