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Dec 4, 2022; Doha, Qatar; Poland forward Robert Lewandowski (9) reacts after a play against France during the first half of a round of sixteen match in the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Al Thumama Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

Poland’s Incredible Weekend Keeps World Cup Hopes Alive

Originally posted on Stadium Rant | By Stefania Zajdel | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Poland’s national football team has been in a tough spot for quite some time. Many believed that in its current state, they wouldn’t be able to qualify for the upcoming World Cup. Thankfully for the Polish fans, the recent weekend of qualifying games revived their hopes of making it through to the group stage.

Poland, Probierz, And Lewandowski

The past few months were quite chaotic for Polish football. In June, right before a round of World Cup qualifiers, Robert Lewandowski, Poland’s star, announced that he wouldn’t be playing against Moldova and Finland. He stated that he was tired after a long season and had not fully recovered from a preceding injury. As a result, Michał Probierz, the team’s former coach, decided to take away his title of captain.

Having heard the news, Lewandowski took to his social media to announce:

“Taking the circumstances and the loss of confidence in the coach of the Polish representation into account, I have decided to resign from playing in the Polish national team, as long as he is the coach. I hope that I will yet get to play for the best supporters in the world.”

It became clear that the Polish Football Association (PZPN) had to choose between the star player and the coach. The final nail in Probierz’s coffin was a lost game against Finland. Not long after the dramatic saga first began, he announced that he was resigning from his position effective immediately.

Jan Urban And The Unexpected Redemption

Much has changed since Probierz left Poland’s team. The new coach, Jan Urban, took over before the September matches and breathed new life into the players. His run at the helm of the representation began with an unexpected draw against the Netherlands. With the Dutch being very clear favourites of the game, the bets placed were related to just how badly Poland would lose, not whether it would lose at all. But, against all odds and thanks to Matty Cash’s incredible goal, the final score stood at 1:1.

Then came the second of the two important matches, this one against Finland. Here, Poland dominated from the very start. They controlled the game and safely led it to a satisfactory 3:1. Cash scored one of the three goals, with the other two added by Lewandowski and Jakub Kamiński.

What Does It Mean For Poland?

Dec 4, 2022; Doha, Qatar; Poland forward Robert Lewandowski (9) is congratulated by forward Arkadiusz Milik (7) after scoring a goal on a penalty kick against France during the second half of a round of sixteen match in the 2022 FIFA World Cup at Al Thumama Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

In the World Cup qualifying group, only the top team gets to move on to the group stage without any additional steps. The one who finishes second gets the chance to participate in the play-offs, while the others have to bid their farewells to the international competition.

No one expects Poland to win from the top spot with the Netherlands as their rival, but with their recent victory over Finland, they are on a great path to making the play-offs. They are currently three points ahead of their immediate rival, the aforementioned Finland. If they can keep playing the way they recently have been, the World Cup might be in their reach.

End Of My Poland Rant

There are many games still to go, and it’s way too early for any serious predictions, but the hope and the excitement of Polish fans grow with every day. They have been waiting for their team to return to its former glory and, slowly but surely, they might be seeing their dream come true.

This article first appeared on Stadium Rant and was syndicated with permission.

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