The knockout stage of 1978 FIFA World Cup was a single-elimination tournament involving the four teams that qualified from the second group stage of the tournament. There were two matches: a match for third place contested by the group runners-up, and the final to decide the champions, contested by the group winners. The knockout stage began with the match for third place on 24 June and ended with the final on 25 June 1978, both at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. Argentina won the tournament with a 3–1 victory over the Netherlands. [1]
The top two placed teams from each of the two groups of the second round qualified for the knockout stage.
| Group | Winners (qualification for final) | Runners-up (qualification for match for third place) |
|---|---|---|
| A |  Netherlands |  Italy |
| B |  Argentina |  Brazil |
As of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, this is the most recent time when the match for third place was won by a non-European team.
          Brazil |   Italy |
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Assistant referees: |
| Argentina | 3–1 (a.e.t.) | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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     Argentina |      Netherlands |
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Assistant referees |
