Third place - GERMANY vs PORTUGAL 3:1

Bastian SCHWEINSTEIGER (GER), Budweiser Man of the MatchWe have to forget the semi-final defeat against Italy and move on. Life goes on. It's obviously great to score twice for your country. I'd already managed to do that once before, when we played Russia, but when you do it at a World Cup, it's even more special. We've got a young team, and all of us can – and must – improve. The next thing on the agenda is to qualify for the European Championship. If we carry on playing the way we have been, then we should get through. The whole squad is happy with the way things are going. Everything seems to be working well - the coach, the team and in fact the whole environment. We could so easily have made it through to the Final. I hope that we can carry on in the same vein.

Oliver KAHN (GER)I had a chance to show what I'm capable of in this match, and that's all that you can ask for. It'll take weeks for all this to sink in, but I think that this will end up being my last international match. This was the toughest World Cup of my career.

Lukas PODOLSKI (GER)The fans really cheered us on and there was a great atmosphere in the stands and then after the match in the dressing-room. It's a pity that we didn't go all the way, but maybe we'll manage to in four years' time.

Jens LEHMANN (GER)We were carried forward on a wave of emotion. Monday, we'll be on holiday, but you can already sense that feeling of emptiness that eats away at you, simply because there was so much enthusiasm apparent over the past few weeks. The more you play in big matches like these, the more you get a taste for them, so if I manage to stay fit, then maybe I'll carry on playing. It's up to the coaching staff though. In any case, we all hope that Jurgen Klinsmann stays on.

Christoph METZELDER (GER)I think that Jurgen Klinsmann will come to a decision one way or the other, and that what the team thinks and feels about him is very important to him. I don't think that he's reached the end of the road with us, but that's up to him to decide.

Marcell JANSEN (GER)It was a great feeling to get to play in the end, and it's a dream come true to have this bronze medal in my hands.

Jens NOWOTNY (GER)It's a shame for Robert Huth that he couldn't play, but in the end, that's not my concern. I really enjoyed it.

Sebastian KEHL (GER)This was an unbelievable experience for us. We wanted to give something back to the fans and to the whole country. I presume that Jurgen Klinsmann is going to carry on as coach.

Cristiano RONALDO (POR)When all’s said and done, this fourth-place finish means a lot to us and to the whole of Portugal. We’re happy with what we’ve done here and we all deserve credit for the joy that we’ve brought to our people. The only negative thing about this World Cup is that we’re losing two great players, Luis Figo and Pauleta, who both made me feel at home in the team. I have learned a lot from both of them.

Nuno GOMES (POR)Unfortunately fourth place feels a bit hollow and we deserved a different scoreline. But we’re proud of what we’ve done and at the end of the day to finish fourth in a World Cup that has been as competitive as this one is good. The fact that Figo and Pauleta are both saying goodbye represents the end of an era, but we have to respect their decisions and congratulate them on their magnificent careers.

DECO (POR)Overall, we have acquitted ourselves well, although obviously we wanted more. Personally speaking, I found things a bit difficult because of the injury I suffered before the tournament and it was only until a few days before the France game that I was able to train properly. I felt as though I was lacking a bit of match fitness.

Ricardo COSTA (POR)In spite of the defeat, I’m happy with my debut in the World Cup and it was tremendous to share a stage with a great team like Germany. We weren’t happy with the match because they had three shots at goal and scored from all three.

PETIT (POR)I think Germany got the rub of the green because they scored two excellent goals from the three shots that they had. But we deserve credit for our great World Cup campaign and it’s nice to have our success acknowledged by the Portuguese people.

RICARDO (POR)Even though this was the game that neither team wanted to play, it was our Final. The first half was very even, but then Germany were more clinical and scored two great goals. I will always remember those two strikes from Schweinsteiger. But we are leaving here with a lot of pride and I just want to congratulate Oliver Kahn and the rest of the German team.