Luis Suarez, the Uruguay striker who has emerged as the most controversial figure of the World Cup, has called on his team-mates to "play to the death" to secure the prize of third place in the tournament.
Uruguay face Germany in Port Elizabeth in the third-place play-off. The match has had a reputation for being an almost meaningless consolation prize but Suarez, whose last-minute handball against Ghana prevented the Africans from going through to the semi-finals, insists Uruguay will take enormous pride from coming third.
Suarez said: "For this squad, the World Cup is not over yet. Now what's left is to play to the death for third place."
Years | Winners | Runner-up | Third place |
2006 | Italy | France | Germany |
2002 | Brazil | Germany | Turkey |
1998 | France | Brazil | Croatia |
1994 | Brazil | Italy | Sweden |
1990 | Germany | Argentina | Italy |
1986 | Argentina | Germany | France |
1982 | Italy | Germany | Poland |
1978 | Argentina | Holland | Brazil |
1974 | Germany | Holland | Poland |
1970 | Brazil | Italy | Germany |
1966 | England | Germany | Portugal |
1962 | Brazil | Czech | Chile |
1958 | Brazil | Sweden | France |
1954 | Germany | Hungary | Austria |
1950 | Uruguay | Brazil | Sweden |
1938 | Italy | Hungary | Brazil |
1934 | Italy | Czech | Germany |
1930 | Uruguay | Argentina | America |