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The Poland national football team (Polish: Reprezentacja Polski w piłce nożnej) represents Poland in men's international football competitions since their first match in 1921. They are known by the nicknames "The White-Reds" and "The Eagles", symbolized by their coat of arms featuring a white eagle on a red background.
Poland has competed in nine FIFA World Cups, with their first appearance being in 1938, where they were eliminated by Brazil. The country's best result was third place, which Poland achieved in 1974 and 1982; this era is regarded as the golden era of Polish international football. At the UEFA European Championship, Poland's best result was a quarter-final appearance at the 2016 tournament before losing to eventual champions Portugal. Overall, they have competed in five European Championships since their debut in 2008. They were co-hosts of the 2012 edition, along with Ukraine.
In a similar fashion to other European states, football appeared in Poland in the late 19th century. In 1888 Prof. Henryk Jordan, a court physician of the Habsburgs and the pioneer of sports in Poland, opened a sports park in Kraków's Błonia, a large open space surrounding the demolished city walls of that town. The park, along with the Sokół society founded in 1867, became the main centres to promote sports and healthy living in Poland. It was Jordan who began promoting football as a healthy sport in the open air; some sources also credit him with bringing the first football to Poland from his travels to Brunswick in 1890.[2] Other sources[3] mention Dr. Edmund Cenar as the one to bring the first ball and the one to translate The Cambridge Rules and parts of the International Football Association Board regulations to Polish language.
On 14 July 1894 during the Second Sokół Jamboree in Lwów at the General National Exhibition a short football match was played between the Sokół members of Lwów and those from Kraków. It lasted only six minutes and was seen as a curiosity rather than a potentially popular sport. Nevertheless, it was the first recorded football match in Polish history.[lower-alpha 1] The Lwów team won after Włodzimierz Chomicki scored the only goal - the first known goal in Polish history.
This match precipitated the popularity of the new sport in Poland. Initially the rules and regulations were very simplified, with the size of the field and the ball varying greatly. Despite being discouraged by many educational societies and the state authorities, the new sport gained extreme popularity among pupils of various gymnasiums in Galicia. The first football teams were formed and in 1903–1904, four Lwów-based gymnasiums formed their own sport clubs: the IV Gymnasium for Boys formed a club later renamed to Pogoń Lwów, while the pupils of the I and II State Schools formed the Sława Lwów club, later renamed to Czarni Lwów. In the same season the Lechia Lwów was also formed. It is uncertain which of the clubs was created first as they were initially poorly organised; however, the Czarni Lwów are usually credited as being the first Polish professional football team. The following year, the popularity of the sport spread to nearby Rzeszów where Resovia Rzeszów was formed, while in the German-held part of Poland, the 1. FC Katowice and Warta Poznań were formed.
On 6 June 1906 a representation of Lwów youth came to Kraków for a repeat match, this time composed of two already organised teams, the Czarni and the team of the IV Gymnasium. Kraków's representation was beaten in both meetings, 4–0 and 2–0 respectively. That summer the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show set up camp at Kraków's Błonia, right outside of the traditional playground area and Jordan's garden. On 5 August 1906 the team of the Kraków-based Jan Sobieski Gymnasium played a match against the British and American members of Buffalo Bill's troupe, winning 1–0. The only goal scored by Stanisław Szeligowski was also the first goal scored by a Polish team in an international meeting. The success led to the popularisation of football in Kraków and to creation of the first Kraków-based professional football team, KS Cracovia– initially composed primarily of students of the Jan Sobieski Gymnasium.[2] By the autumn of that year there were already 16 teams in Kraków, including Wisła Kraków. In 1911, a Kraków-based Union of Polish Football for Galicia was formed and entered the Austrian Football Association. The union inspired the creation of a number of teams.
After the outbreak of World War I, most of the Galician football players, many of them members of either Strzelec or Sokół, joined Piłsudski'sPolish Legions. The unit, fighting alongside the Austro-Hungarian Army, fought mostly in various parts of Russian-held Poland, which led to popularisation of the new sport in other parts of partitioned Poland. Eventually, Poland regained its independence in 1918.
The first football federation was established on 25 June 1911 in Lwów as the Polish Football Union (Związek Polski Piłki Nożnej). After World War I, members of PFU established the Polish Football Federation (Polski Związek Piłki Nożnej) in Warsaw on 20 December 1919. Two years later, they appointed Hungarian-born Jesza Poszony as the first coach of the Polish national team.
During their World Cup debut, Poland played Brazil and sent them to extra time, only to lose 6–5. Ernest Wilimowski, who played for Ruch Chorzów at the time, scored four of Poland's five goals.
Poland played what would be their last international match before the outbreak of World War II against Hungary, the runners-up in the 1938 World Cup. Poland defeated Hungary 4–2.
1939–1945
When the Wehrmacht invaded Poland in September 1939, all Polish institutions and associations were dissolved, including the Polish Football Association PZPN. The German occupying forces forbade Poles to organise football matches. Consequently, there was no national team.[10]
Kazimierz Górski was head coach of the national team between 1971 and 1976.
On 11 June 1946, following the aftermath of World War II, Poland played their first international friendly match, a 3–1 defeat against Norway in Oslo. Poland's biggest success in the early years after the war was their victory against one of Europe's best at the time, Czechoslovakia. Poland defeated their southern neighbors 3–1.
Poland suffered the worst defeat in the team's history on 26 April 1948 with a 0–8 loss to Denmark in Copenhagen. 15 years later, they posted their second highest-ever victory in Szczecin when they defeated Norway 9–0 on 4 September 1963. The game marked the debut for Włodzimierz Lubański, who scored one goal in the game. Lubański became the all-time top scorer for Poland while playing from 1963 to 1980, scoring 48 goals in 75 appearances. The game remained their highest victory until the score was surpassed on 1 April 2009, when Poland defeated San Marino 10–0.
1974–1986
For 1974 World Cup qualification, Poland qualified and eliminated England, who missed out on the World Cup for the first time since 1946.
Poland celebrates a victory over Brazil in the 1974 World Cup.
In their opening match of the 1974 World Cup, Poland met Argentina. Within eight minutes Poland were up 2–0 as Grzegorz Lato opened the scoring in the seventh minute and just a minute later Andrzej Szarmach doubled the lead. In the 60th minute, Argentina cut the lead in half when Ramon Heredia scored. Two minutes later, however, Lato scored his second, which turned out to be the winning goal as Carlos Babington gave Argentina their second in the 66th. Poland won 3–2.
Poland thrashed Haiti 7–0 in their second game, with a hat-trick from Szarmach and two goals from Lato. In their final match of the group stage, Poland met Italy. Poland were already through to the second round but needed at least a draw to win the group. Poland defeated Italy 2–1, finishing at the top of the group. In the second round, Poland won 1–0 against Sweden, who had not conceded any goals in their first three matches. Lato scored the only goal of the game. In the next game, Yugoslavia conceded a penalty from Poland in the 24th minute, and Stanislav Karasi tied it up for Yugoslavia in the 43rd. Lato scored the winning goal.
Poland faced hosts West Germany in the rain; Gerd Müller scored the winning goal in the 76th minute for West Germany. The Poles eventually defeated Brazil in the third place match.
In 1978 World Cup qualifying, Poland denied Portugal their second World Cup appearance and their first in 12 years. In the World Cup, Grzegorz Lato scored the only goal against African side Tunisia in the second match. In the final first-round match Poland met Mexico, with a 3–1 win.
In the second round, Poland met three South American teams. In 1974, Poland had played and won against both Argentina and Brazil; both teams would get their revenge this time around. First, Argentina beat the Poles 2–0 with two goals from tournament top scorer Mario Kempes. Poland then defeated Peru 1–0 with a goal from Andrzej Szarmach. In Poland's last match of this World Cup, Brazil opened the scoring in the 12th minute on a goal from Nelinho. Even though Lato equalized one minute before half-time, it was not to be for Poland: two goals from Roberto in the 57th and 62nd minutes wrapped up a 3–1 win for Brazil.
On 29 November 1980, a dispute between players and technical staff began at a hotel in Warsaw, ending in the Okęcie Airport. Following the incident, several players of the Poland national team were banned from international duty, and Ryszard Kulesza resigned as head coach of the team.[12] At the 1982 FIFA World Cup, Poland were drawn in a group with Italy, Cameroon and Peru.[13] The first two games were consecutive 0–0 draws with Italy and Cameroon, but the final group game of the first round ended in a 5–1 win for Poland, meaning they would advance to the second round as group winners.[14][15][16]
In the first game of the second round, Poland beat Belgium 3–0 with a hat-trick from Boniek securing a classic performance in the match, though the player would receive a yellow card in the following game.[17][18] Nevertheless, Poland advanced as group winners to the knockout stage.[13] However, Poland would eventually be stopped in the semi-finals, losing 0–2 to Italy; however, they also secured a place in the third place play-off,[19] where Poland beat France 3–2, with the game also being regarded as "the end of the golden era of Polish football".[20]
Poland scoring v River Plate during their tour on Argentina, February 1986
At the 1986 World Cup, Poland were drawn into a group with England, Morocco and Portugal.[24] The first match was a 0–0 draw against Morocco; in the second match, Poland beat Portugal 1–0.[25][26] In the final group game, they lost 0–3 to England, but Poland still advanced into the knockout stage as a result of Morocco winning 3–1 over Portugal.[27][28] In the round of sixteen, Poland were eliminated after suffering a 4–0 defeat to Brazil.[29]
1986–2001
After the "Golden Era" from the 1970s and 1980s, Poland suffered a severe drought in international football; they did not qualify for three consecutive editions of the FIFA World Cup, from 1990 to 1998.
During UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying, Poland was drawn in a group with England, Sweden, Bulgaria and Luxembourg. Poland finished third, tied with England in points earned, but failed to qualify due to goal difference.
Poland qualified for the 2002 World Cup, their first appearance at the World Cup since 1986.[67] Poland's biggest win overall in the qualifying phase was a 4–0 win over Armenia, while their biggest defeat was a 4–1 defeat to Belarus.[68][69]
The Polish drew a group featuring hosts South Korea, the United States and Portugal.[70] The first match was played against the hosts on 4 June, with Poland losing 2–0.[71] The second game was against Portugal on 10 June, which Poland lost 4–0, confirming their early elimination.[72] Poland then played the United States in the final group game on 14 June, winning 3–1; however, the U.S. advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Mexico in the round of 16.[73] Despite the win, Poland finished last in the group, with a goal difference of –4 and 3 points.[5]
In Euro 2008 qualifying, Poland were drawn into a group with Portugal, Serbia, Finland, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Azerbaijan.[86] Poland's campaign began in uncomfortable fashion, suffering a 1–3 defeat to Finland on 2 September 2006 and then drawing 1–1 with Serbia on 6 September.[87][88] In the third match, on 7 October, Poland won 1–0 over Kazakhstan, with Ebi Smolarek scoring the goal.[89] On 11 October, Poland beat Portugal 2–1, with Smolarek scoring the two goals.[90] Poland beat Belgium 1–0 on 15 November.[91] On 24 March 2007, Poland beat Azerbaijan 5–0, and on 28 March beat Armenia 1–0.[92][93] On 2 June, they beat Azerbaijan 3–1, with Smolarek and Krzynówek (2) scoring.[94] On 6 June, Poland lost 1–0 to Armenia, on 8 September drew 2–2 with Portugal, and on 12 September drew 0–0 with Finland.[95][96][97] On 13 October, Poland beat Kazakhstan 3–1 with a hat-trick from Smolarek.[98] They beat Belgium 2–0 with two goals from Smolarek on 17 November and drew 2–2 with Serbia in the final qualifying game on the 21st, thus qualifying for the tournament as the 1st place team in the qualifying group following Portugal's 0-0 draw with Finland. This was Poland's first ever Euro appearance.[99][100][101]
In 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Poland were drawn in a group with Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Northern Ireland and San Marino. Poland finished fifth in the group, just above San Marino, with 11 points.[107] Poland began the campaign with a 1–1 draw against Slovenia on 6 September 2008.[108] On 10 October, Poland beat San Marino 2–0.[109] On 11 October, they won 2–1 against the Czech Republic.[110] After these wins, Poland lost consecutive matches against Slovakia (2–1) and Northern Ireland (3–2).[111][112] Poland then recorded their biggest ever win with a scoreline of 10–0 against San Marino. Six different players scored in the win on 1 April 2009.[113][114] In the last rounds of qualifying, Poland drew 1–1 with Northern Ireland and lost to Slovenia.[115][116] Poland then ended the campaign with consecutive losses to the Czech Republic and Slovakia.[117][118]
Poland were drawn into Group A, with Greece, Russia and the Czech Republic.[119] On 8 June, the opening match played between Poland and Greece at the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw ended 1–1, with Poland taking the lead in the 17th minute through Robert Lewandowski before Greece equalized in the second half through Dimitris Salpingidis in the 51st minute. Both teams went down to 10 men during the game.[120][121] Poland's next game was on 12 June, again played at the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw, with the game against Russia finishing 1–1. Russia took the lead through Alan Dzagoev in the 37th minute before Poland equalized through Błaszczykowski in the 57th minute.[122][123] Poland's final game was played against the Czech Republic on 16 June at the Stadion Miejski, in Wrocław, where Poland lost 1–0 following a goal from Petr Jiráček.[124][125] Poland finished bottom of the group with two points, prompting coach Franciszek Smuda to resign following the elimination.[119]
Poland was drawn in Group H of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying, with England, Ukraine, Montenegro, Moldova and San Marino.[126]
On 7 September, Poland's first qualifying match ended in a 2–2 draw with Montenegro, with goals from Błaszczykowski and Mierzejewski.[127] On 11 September, they beat Moldova 2–0 with goals from Błaszczykowski and Wawrzyniak.[128] On 17 October, Poland drew 1–1 with England, with Glik scoring the equalizing goal.[129] On 22 March 2013, Poland lost 3–1 to Ukraine, conceding two goals in the first seven minutes alone, with Piszczek scoring Poland's only goal.[130] On 26 March, Poland beat San Marino 5–0, with a brace from Lewandowski, and goals from Piszczek, Teodorczyk and Kosecki.[131] On 6 September, Poland drew 1–1 with Montenegro, with Lewandowski scoring the equalizing goal only five minutes after Poland initially conceded.[132] On 10 September, they beat San Marino 5–1, with a brace from Zieliński, and goals from Błaszczykowski, Sobota and Mierzejewski.[133] However, Poland lost the last two games against Ukraine and England, 1–0 and 2–0, respectively.[134][135][136]
Despite drawing with Kazakhstan on 4 September 2016 opening match, Lewandowski scored 16 goals during qualifying, breaking the European qualifying scoring record, as well as becoming the all-time top goalscorer of Poland.[152]
Poland's tournament was disappointing overall; they lost to Senegal in the opening match, 2–1 on 19 June in Moscow.[157] Five days later, on 24 June, they lost to Colombia in Kazan 3–0,[158] mathematically eliminating them from the round of 16. They did beat Japan 1–0 in their final group game in Volgograd.[159] Poland finished at the bottom of their group.
Qualifying for UEFA Euro 2020 was based on performance in the inaugural 2018–19 UEFA Nations League. In 2018, Poland was drawn into Group 3 in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League A, along with Portugal and Italy. Poland was relegated to League B with two home defeats and two away draws, only to be allowed to remain on League A following UEFA rule changes.
Poland opened their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying by a single-margin 1–0 win against Austria in Vienna.[160] Three days later, Poland followed up their suit by beating Latvia 2–0 at home.[161]
On 7 June 2019, Poland defeated North Macedonia 1–0 by a lone goal from Piątek.[162] They then beat Israel 4–0 in Warsaw.[163] Poland then lost 2–0 to Slovenia in Ljubljana.[164] A following 0–0 home draw to Austria meant that Poland's top spot was under bank, with Slovenia approaching very quickly.[165]
In October, Poland embattled two opponents, Latvia and North Macedonia, for its UEFA Euro 2020 quest. Poland managed a convincing 3–0 away win over Latvia, eliminating them from the competition.[166] Slovenia's shock away defeat to North Macedonia relieved pressure for Poland, with Slovenia falling from second to fourth place.[167] Eventually, Poland beat North Macedonia 2–0 at home,[168] and with Slovenia falling at home to Austria,[169] Poland qualified for the Euros for the fourth consecutive time.
Poland started their League games without Lewandowski. In their first match, an away game against the Netherlands, the Poles lost 1–0.[170] Later, Poland made a trip to Bosnia; the Bosnian team, including Edin Džeko, had held Italy 1–1 draw away before. However, Poland managed a comeback from a goal down, with Kamil Glik and Kamil Grosicki scoring to beat Bosnia 2–1.[171] In October, Poland hosted Italy and Bosnia at home; a goalless draw with Italy combined with a 3–0 win over Bosnia made them temporarily occupy the top spot of the group.[172][173] However, in November, Poland suffered a 2–0 defeat despite Italy being depleted by COVID-19.[174] Poland lost to the Netherlands 2–1 at home, ending in third place.[175]
Poland participated in UEFA Euro 2020, postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19. A 2–1 loss to Slovakia,[176] followed by a 1–1 draw to Spain, preceded a 3–2 defeat to Sweden to eliminate the Poles.[177][178]
Poland advanced to the second round (play-offs) of World Cup qualification to determine the final three European teams that would join the group winners at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Poland was scheduled to face Russia in Moscow on 24 March 2022 in the semi-final of a four-team playoff bracket that also included Sweden and the Czech Republic. However, following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, FIFA indefinitely suspended Russia from all international competition. Poland advanced automatically to the play-off finals, where they defeated Sweden to qualify.[179]
At the 2022 World Cup, Poland was drawn into Group C, where they were scheduled to play against Argentina, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico.[180] The first match ended with a goalless draw against Mexico.[181] Goals from Piotr Zieliński and Robert Lewandowski gave Poland a 2–0 win against Saudi Arabia in the second match.[182] Following their loss to Argentina, Poland advanced to the knockout stage ahead of Mexico on goal difference, their first knockout stage appearance since 1986.[183] During the match, Wojciech Szczęsny denied Lionel Messi on a penalty kick opportunity. Szczęsny became the third keeper ever to stop two penalties in a single World Cup,[184] with the others being Brad Friedel in 2002 for the United States and Jan Tomaszewski in 1974, also for Poland.[185] In the round of 16, Poland lost 3–1 to France, in which Robert Lewandowski scored a penalty in stoppage time.[186][187]
Czesław Michniewicz did not renew his contract as manager and his place was taken by award-winning coach Fernando Santos to take on the mission of qualifying for Euro 2024.[188][189] Defeats to the Czech Republic, Moldova and Albania brought his dismissal.[189] In September 2023, Fernando Santos was replaced by Michał Probierz, who started with a win against the Faroe Islands in Euro 2024 qualifying, but then drew with Moldova.[190] Poland later ended qualification for Euro 2024 with a 1–1 draw to the Czech Republic, ending all hopes for Poland to clinch automatic qualification. However, because of Poland's Nations League performance, the Poles were able to salvage a place in the play-offs, where Poland defeated Estonia 5–1. After a goalless draw against Wales, the Poles won on penalties to secure a spot at the Euros.[191]
Team image
Names
The official FIFA country code for Poland is POL. This abbreviation is used to identify the team in FIFA, UEFA, and other matches. The same abbreviation is also used under the International Organization for Standardization. "Polish national football team" can be translated into Polish as "Reprezentacja Polski w piłce nożnej". The team's most common nicknames include "Biało-czerwoni", which means "The white-reds", and "Orły", which translates into "The Eagles". In English, the team is also widely known as "The White Eagles", based on Poland's national coat of arms.
Supporters
Polish football fans
The Polish team enjoys widespread support in Poland and among Polish diaspora worldwide. Some fans of the team are reportedly fanatic and often violent, with connections to Polish organized crime syndicates.[192] Supporters of the team have been involved in a number of incidents, such as during UEFA Euro 2012, held in Poland, when Polish and Russian supporters clashed prior to the encounter between the two countries' teams.[193]
A notable chant among Polish fans is "Polska, biało-czerwoni" ("Poland, the White-Reds").[194]
The national kits of Poland reflect the colours of the national flag, which are white and red. Apart from minor details (in the 1920s the socks in the home kit were striped), the design remains unchanged since 1921. The home kit consists of a white shirt, red shorts, and white socks; the away kit is all red (though sometimes worn with white shorts). On the rare occasions when both home and away kits clash with the opponent's, a colours third kit is available, usually in either black or blue (currently navy blue with white-red sleeves).
The kit has traditionally been adorned with the coat of arms of Poland, i.e. the crowned white eagle. Until 2006, the coat of arms featured only the inscription "POLSKA" in capital letters above the eagle, and not, as with many other national teams, the national football federation logo. The Euro 2012 kits were the first to feature the logo of the PZPN. When the kit was first launched it did not include the coat of arms, but it was restored shortly thereafter. Since 2009, the kits have been provided by Nike.
Stadion Śląski in Chorzów was built in 1956; the stadium has a seating capacity of 47,246. The stadium was renovated to expand its seating capacity to 55,211 and was reopened in October 2017. In 1993, the stadium was designated as the official home stadium of the Poland national team. In 2011, Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw was completed with a capacity of 58,580 and since then, it has become a major stadium of Polish team and hosts most of Euro and World Cup qualifications matches.
INJ Withdrew from the squad due to an injury. WD Player withdrew from the squad RET Retired from the national team. U21 Joined Poland national under-21 football team.
Statistics updated as of 26 March 2024. List including all matches officially recognized by the Polish Football Association (also those not recognized by FIFA).
↑ In fact, there was a previous meeting mentioned by the press in Kraków in 1892, though no details are known.
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↑ Thomas Urban, "Football 'Only for Germans', in the Underground and in Auschwitz: Championships in Occupied Poland", in European Football During the Second World War. Ed. M. Herzog/F. Brändle. Oxford 2018, p. 367.
↑ Thomas Urban, "Football 'Only for Germans', in the Underground and in Auschwitz: Championships in Occupied Poland", in European Football During the Second World War. Ed. M. Herzog/F. Brändle. Oxford 2018, p. 374.
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2 (4 April 2024) [1] 
Hungary 1–0 Poland 
Poland 10–0 San Marino 
Denmark 8–0 Poland 
