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 third place play-off contested by the group runners-up, and the final to decide the champions, contested by the group winners. The knockout stage began with the third place play-off 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]
All times ART
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 third place play-off) |
|---|---|---|
| A |  Netherlands |  Italy |
| B |  Argentina |  Brazil |
As of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, this is the most recent time when the third place match was won by a non-European team.
          Brazil |   Italy |
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     Argentina |      Netherlands |
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Assistant referees |
