Germany won the third-placed play-off in Port Elizabeth, after beating Uruguay 3-2 in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Germany's Thomas Muller and Uruguay's Diego Forlan both netted in the game to take their tournament tally to five goals, and a potential share of the Golden Boot.
Germany has the first real chance on ten minutes, when Arne Friedrich headed a deep corner from Mesut Oezil onto the bar, with Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera well beaten.
Germany took the lead nine minutes later, with Muslera arguably to blame for the goal. The Lazio goalkeeper spilled Bastian Schweinsteiger's long-range shot, and Muller was first to the rebound to tap in from ten yards.
The South Americans equalised ten minutes later through Edinson Cavani.
Diego Perez robbed Schweinsteiger in the centre of midfield, with the ball eventually reaching Luis Suarez, who set up the Palmero striker to take a touch before poking the ball past Germany goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt.
Forlan made it 2-1 to Uruguay on 51 minutes when he volleyed into the ground and then the net from Suarez's cross from the right, after the Ajax man had been set up by Egidio Arevalo.
However, Oscar Tabarez's men conceded two soft goals as Germany took the bronze medal.
Firstly, Marcell Jansen headed into an empty net on 56 minutes when Muslera came and missed a deep Jerome Boateng cross from the right.
Then, Diego Lugano was unable to clear the loose ball after a Germany corner in the 82nd minute, and Sami Khedira looped a header into the corner of the net for the winner.
Forlan almost scored an injury-time leveller, and his sixth goal of the tournament, but his free-kick thudded against Butt's crossbar.