Do losers need consolation?

How valuable are consolation gifts for losers? Or, changing the question, do losers need consolation? I could also ask.

Both imply that you are striving for a goal, stumbling on the way to it, and not succeeding.

Giving a 100 dollar consolation prize to someone who missed the 1 million dollar jackpot by a single number is the equivalent of the pathetic situation you are in because your luck ran out on you at the last moment.

Either there is a prize or there is not! There is and the winner is successful. There is no prize because if you lose, you cannot cover your loss with another prize.

Just like the third place match of the 2022 Qatar World Cup that will be played today!

Croatia - Morocco

The sign with the names of the losers of the semi-finals will mean that you have lost the right to play in the final and, moreover, maybe you have lost the chance to be champion, but you can be third, we are giving you this chance.

What is the difference between those who missed the chance to be the best in the world for 4 years at the last moment and those who missed it in the groups and in the next rounds?

How are Croatia or Morocco different from Brazil, for example, who came with the aim of winning the World Cup? The aim of all three was to reach the final of the World Cup and fight to be on the winning side. One of them (Brazil) was eliminated early, the others (Croatia, Morocco) were eliminated in the semi-finals. Or how are they different from England or Spain?

There is no difference between being third in the world and fourth in the world. They both represent having reached the semi-finals of the World Cup but having been eliminated. It is as meaningless to determine world number three as it is to determine world number five, world number six, world number seven.

In any case, both countries are likely to field a rotated line-up of players with less playing time, as has been the case in the past when the world number three has been decided. Instead of playing primarily a preventive game, stopping the opponent, as they have done so far, they will play more openly and play for show.

I don't think any of them will relish the prospect of playing for third place when they could be playing for the final and striving for the win. I am almost certain that they will want to pack their bags and leave Qatar as soon as possible, just like the other countries who packed their bags when they were eliminated.

Today's match, is it really a show? Or is it torture for both sides? Is it necessary? Many more questions can be raised, but the main thing is that the third place match will be played and it will end as it has in the past.

I do not support any attempt to open new arenas or increase the number of matches for the losers. The loser should experience the sadness of being the losing side after questioning why they lost. It is as natural as the winner's joy.

For the losers, the consolation prize can be their own community. Morocco, for example, raised the bar by becoming the first African representative to reach the semi-finals. They came back from the doorstep of the final. I am sure their own people will give them consolation. They don't need the consolation of a third prize.

In general, if the organization really needed a third place, the third team could have been determined on the basis of the scores in the semi-final matches. By comparing the scores of Morocco, who lost 2 - 0 to their opponent, and Croatia, who lost 3 - 0 to their opponent, Morocco could have automatically been chosen as the third team in the world.

For example, at the time of the last matches in the group stages, when Poland was losing 2 - 0 against Argentina and Mexico was winning 2 - 0 against Saudi Arabia, Poland and Mexico had equal points, goals scored and goals conceded. At that time, the team that would advance to the next round was determined by the number of yellow cards received by each country. Since Poland had received fewer yellow cards, they were going to advance to the next round. Therefore, 2 - 0 was not enough, so Mexico took a risk and ended up losing. If such a small nuance can be allowed to determine the detail, why can't similar practices be applied for third place in the world?

And in that case, the attempt at a consolation prize for the losers would automatically disappear. Who will win the final and the world cup? In a world where the question is who will win the final and the World Cup, no one is interested in third place. I think not even the players!