The Poland national football team has represented Poland in international men’s football competitions since its first match in 1921. The team is controlled by the Polish Football Association (PZPN), the governing body of football in Poland. Poland Football History.
Poland has participated in eight FIFA World Cups, with their first appearance in 1938, where they were eliminated by Brazil. A country’s best result was a bronze medal, won by Poland in 1974 and 1982. This period is considered the golden age of Polish international football.
UEFA European Championship
At the UEFA European Championship, Poland’s best result was reaching the quarter-finals at the 2016 tournament, before losing to eventual champions Portugal. In total, they have participated in four European Championships since their debut in 2008. He co-hosted the 2012 edition with Ukraine. Overall, Poland’s best ever result in international football tournaments was the gold medal won at the 1972 Munich Olympics, along with silver medals at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Poland was drawn in Group H of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying alongside England, Ukraine, Montenegro, Moldova, and San Marino.
Poland Performance
On 7 September, Poland’s first qualifying match ended in a 2–2 draw with Montenegro, with goals from Błaszczykowski and Mierzejewski. And on 11 September, they beat Moldova 2–0 with goals from Błaszczykowski and Wawrzyniak. On 17 October, Poland drew 1–1 with England, with Glik scoring the equalizing goal.
On 22 March 2013, Poland lost 3–1 to Ukraine, conceding just two goals in the first seven minutes, with Piszczek scoring Poland’s only goal . And On 26 March, Poland defeated San Marino 5–0, with two goals from Lewandowski, and goals from Piszczyk, Teodorczyk and Kosicki. On 6 September, Poland drew 1–1 with Montenegro, with Lewandowski scoring the equalizer just five minutes after Poland had conceded early.
On 10 September, they beat San Marino 5–1, with a brace from Zielinski, and goals from Błaszczykowski, Sobota, and Mierzejewski. However, Poland lost the last two games against Ukraine and England by 1-0 and 2-0 respectively.
In UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, Poland was draw in Group D with Germany, Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, Georgia, and Gibraltar.
2014 World Cup
On 11 October 2014, Poland defeated 2014 World Cup champions Germany 2–0. Three days later, Poland drew 2–2 with Scotland. They drew 1–1 with the Republic of Ireland in March 2015 after conceding a goal from Shane Long in stoppage time. By October, they had secured enough points to secure automatic qualification for the Euros after defeating the Republic of Ireland.
At the UEFA Euro 2016 finals, Poland was draw into Group C with Germany, Northern Ireland, and Ukraine.
2018 FIFA World Cup
In the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Poland was draw in Group E with Denmark, Montenegro, Romania, Armenia, and Kazakhstan.
Despite a draw with Kazakhstan in the opening match on 4 September 2016, Lewandowski scored 16 goals during qualifying, breaking the European qualifying scoring record, as well as becoming Poland’s all-time top goalscorer.
Poland played at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, their first since 2006, in Group H, against Senegal, Colombia, and Japan. Despite the group being consider close, Poland was name the favorites to advance.
UEFA 2020
Qualification for UEFA Euro 2020 was based on performance in the inaugural 2018–19 UEFA Nations League. In 2018, Poland was draw in Group 3 of the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League A, along with Portugal and Italy. Poland were relegate to League B with two home defeats and two away draws, only to be allow to stay in League A after a change in UEFA rules.
Poland opened UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying with a 1-0 win over Austria in Vienna by a single margin. Three days later, Poland followed up their stand by beating Latvia 2–0 at home. Poland Football History.
In 2019
On 7 June 2019, Poland beat North Macedonia 1–0 with Piątek scoring the only goal. They then beat Israel 4-0 in Warsaw. Poland was then beat 2-0 by Slovenia in Ljubljana. A 0-0 home draw with Austria meant Poland’s top spot was in the bank, with Slovenia fast approaching.
In October, Poland faced two opponents, Latvia and North Macedonia, in their UEFA Euro 2020 quest. Poland crashed out of the competition with a 3-0 victory over Latvia. Slovenia’s shock away defeat to North Macedonia eased the pressure for Poland, with Slovenia falling from second to fourth. Finally, Poland beat North Macedonia 2-0 at home, and with Slovenia falling at home to Austria, Poland qualified for the Euros for the fourth time in a row. Poland Football History.
After being allow to stay in League A, Poland faced Italy, the Netherlands, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The tournament doubles as a play-off campaign as part of the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification.
Poland National Football Team
Poland participated in UEFA Euro 2020, which was postpone until 2021 due to COVID-19. A 2-1 defeat to Slovakia, followed by a 1-1 draw with Spain, before a 3-2 loss to Sweden to finish the Poles.
Poland advanced to the second round of World Cup qualification (play-offs) to determine the final three European teams who will join the group winners at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Poland was schedule to face Russia on 24 March 2022 in Moscow in the semi-finals of a four-team playoff bracket that also featured Sweden and the Czech Republic. However, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, FIFA suspended Russia indefinitely from all international competitions. Poland automatically qualified for the play-off final, where they defeated Sweden. For more details click here