Poland national football team facts for kids
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Nickname(s) | Biało-Czerwoni (The White-Reds) Orły (The Eagles) |
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Association | Polski Związek Piłki Nożnej (PZPN) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Head coach | Jan Urban | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Captain | Piotr Zieliński | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Most caps | Robert Lewandowski (158) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Top scorer | Robert Lewandowski (85) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Home stadium | National Stadium Silesian Stadium |
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FIFA code | POL | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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FIFA ranking | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current | 20 ![]() |
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Highest | 5 (August 2017) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Lowest | 78 (November 2013) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Elo ranking | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Current | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Highest | 2 (10 September 1975) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Lowest | 58 (October 1956) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
First international | |||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() ![]() (Budapest, Hungary; 18 December 1921) |
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Biggest win | |||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() ![]() (Kielce, Poland; 1 April 2009) |
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Biggest defeat | |||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() ![]() (Copenhagen, Denmark; 26 June 1948) |
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World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Appearances | 9 (first in 1938) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Best result | Third place (1974, 1982) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
European Championship | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Appearances | 5 (first in 2008) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Best result | Quarter-finals (2016) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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The Poland national football team represents Poland in international football games. It is managed by the Polish Football Association (PZPN). The team is known as "The White-Reds" and "The Eagles". These names come from Poland's national symbol, a white eagle on a red background.
Poland has played in nine FIFA World Cup tournaments. Their first World Cup was in 1938. Their best results were third place in 1974 and 1982. These years are seen as the "golden era" for Polish football. In 1974, Grzegorz Lato won the Golden Shoe award for scoring seven goals. Poland reached the Round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In the UEFA European Championship, Poland's best result was reaching the quarter-finals in 2016. They have played in five European Championships since their first in 2008. Poland was a co-host for the 2012 tournament with Ukraine.
Poland's greatest success in international football was winning the gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics. They also won a silver medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
Contents
History of Polish Football
Early Days of Football
Football first came to Poland in the late 1800s. In 1888, Professor Henryk Jordan opened a sports park in Kraków. He helped make football popular as a healthy outdoor sport. Some say he brought the first football to Poland in 1890.
The first recorded football match in Poland happened on July 14, 1894. It was a short game between teams from Lwów and Kraków. The Lwów team won 1–0. This match helped football become very popular in Poland.
Early football clubs started forming around 1903-1906. These included Lechia Lwów, Czarni Lwów, Pogoń Lwów, KS Cracovia, and Wisła Kraków. The Polish Football Association (PZPN) was created on December 20, 1919. The PZPN joined FIFA in 1923 and UEFA in 1955.
First International Matches (1919–1939)
Poland played its first official international match on December 18, 1921. They lost 1–0 to Hungary in Budapest. Their first win came on May 28, 1922, when they beat Sweden 2–1. Józef Klotz scored Poland's first goal.
Poland qualified for their first World Cup in 1937. They beat Yugoslavia to earn a spot in the 1938 World Cup in France. In their World Cup debut, Poland played Brazil. They lost a close game 6–5 after extra time. Ernest Wilimowski scored four goals for Poland in that match.
Poland's last international game before World War II was a 4–2 win against Hungary.
After World War II (1946–1974)

After World War II, Poland played its first friendly match on June 11, 1946. They lost 3–1 to Norway. A big success was beating Czechoslovakia 3–1.
On April 26, 1948, Poland had their biggest loss, 8–0 to Denmark. However, on September 4, 1963, they had a huge 9–0 win against Norway. This game was the debut for Włodzimierz Lubański, who scored a goal. Lubański became Poland's top scorer with 48 goals. This record stood for 37 years. Poland's biggest win ever was 10–0 against San Marino on April 1, 2009.
The Golden Era (1974–1986)
Poland qualified for the 1974 World Cup by beating England. This was their first World Cup since 1938.
In the 1974 World Cup, Poland started strong. They beat Argentina 3–2, Haiti 7–0, and Italy 2–1. They won their group. In the second round, they beat Sweden 1–0 and Yugoslavia 2–1. They then faced hosts West Germany in a tough match, losing 1–0. Poland finished third in the tournament by beating Brazil 1–0.
Poland also qualified for the 1978 World Cup. They won their first group but struggled in the second round, losing to Argentina and Brazil.
At the 1982 World Cup, Poland drew their first two games 0–0 against Italy and Cameroon. They then beat Peru 5–1 to win their group. In the next round, they beat Belgium 3–0 with three goals from Zbigniew Boniek. Poland lost to Italy in the semi-finals but won the third-place match 3–2 against France. This was seen as the end of their "golden era."
Poland also played in the 1986 World Cup. They drew with Morocco, beat Portugal 1–0, and lost to England 3–0. They made it to the Round of 16 but lost 4–0 to Brazil.
Challenges and Return to World Stage (1986–2006)
After the golden era, Poland did not qualify for the World Cup for a long time (1990, 1994, 1998). They also missed out on the European Championships during this period.
Poland finally qualified for the 2002 World Cup, their first since 1986. They were in a group with South Korea, the United States, and Portugal. They lost their first two games to South Korea (2–0) and Portugal (4–0). They won their last group game 3–1 against the United States but were already out of the tournament.

Poland also qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. They were in a group with Germany, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. They lost to Ecuador (2–0) and Germany (1–0). They won their last game against Costa Rica (2–1) but did not move past the group stage.
Recent Tournaments (2008–Present)
Poland made their first ever appearance at the European Championship in 2008. They were in a group with Germany, Austria, and Croatia. They lost to Germany and Croatia, and drew with Austria, finishing last in their group.
Poland did not qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
In 2012, Poland co-hosted Euro 2012 with Ukraine. They were in a group with Greece, Russia, and the Czech Republic. They drew 1–1 with Greece and Russia, and lost 1–0 to the Czech Republic. They finished last in their group and were eliminated.
Poland did not qualify for the 2014 World Cup.
At Euro 2016, Poland had a strong run. They won their group games against Northern Ireland (1–0) and Ukraine (1–0), and drew with Germany (0–0). In the Round of 16, they beat Switzerland in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw. They then faced Portugal in the quarter-finals. After another 1–1 draw, Poland lost in a penalty shootout.

Poland qualified for the 2018 World Cup. They were in a group with Senegal, Colombia, and Japan. They lost their first two matches to Senegal (2–1) and Colombia (3–0), which meant they were out. They won their final game against Japan (1–0) but finished last in the group.
Poland also played in UEFA Euro 2020, which was held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They lost to Slovakia (2–1), drew with Spain (1–1), and lost to Sweden (3–2), getting eliminated in the group stage.
Poland qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. They were in a group with Argentina, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico. They drew 0–0 with Mexico and beat Saudi Arabia 2–0. Despite losing 2–0 to Argentina, Poland advanced to the knockout stage for the first time since 1986. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny saved a penalty from Lionel Messi in the Argentina match. In the Round of 16, Poland lost 3–1 to France.
Poland played in UEFA Euro 2024. They lost to the Netherlands (2–1) and Austria (3–1), and drew with France (1–1), finishing last in their group.
After the Euro 2024 tournament, Robert Lewandowski announced he would not play for the national team as long as Michał Probierz was the manager. Probierz resigned in July 2025, and Jan Urban became the new head coach.
Team Identity
Nicknames
The official FIFA code for Poland is POL. The team is often called "Biało-czerwoni" (The White-Reds) and "Orły" (The Eagles). In English, they are also known as "The White Eagles." These names come from Poland's national symbol, the white eagle.
Supporters
Polish football fans are very passionate. They support the team strongly in Poland and all over the world. A popular chant among fans is "Polska, biało-czerwoni" (Poland, the White-Reds).
Team Kits
Poland's national kits use the colors of the national flag: white and red. The home kit is a white shirt, red shorts, and white socks. The away kit is usually all red. Sometimes, a third kit in black or navy blue is used if the other kits clash with the opponent's colors.
The kits traditionally feature the coat of arms of Poland, which is a crowned white eagle. Since 2009, Nike has been the kit supplier.
Kit supplier | Period |
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until 1974 |
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1974–1992 |
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1992–1993 |
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1993 |
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1993–1994 |
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1994–1996 |
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1996–1999 |
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1999 |
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1999–2000 |
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2000 |
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2001–2008 |
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2009–present |
Stadiums
Main Stadiums
The Silesian Stadium in Chorzów was built in 1956 and can hold 47,246 people. It was made bigger in 2017 to hold 55,211 fans. Since 1993, it has been an official home stadium for the Poland national team. The National Stadium in Warsaw was finished in 2011. It can hold 58,580 people and hosts most of Poland's important qualification matches.
Other Stadiums
Poland has also played games at these stadiums:
Recent Matches and Schedule
Here are Poland's match results from the last year and upcoming games.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2024
5 September 2024 Nations League | Scotland ![]() |
2–3 | ![]() |
Glasgow, Scotland |
19:45 BST (UTC+1) |
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Stadium: Hampden Park Attendance: 46,356 Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden) |
8 September 2024 Nations League | Croatia ![]() |
1–0 | ![]() |
Osijek, Croatia |
20:45 |
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Stadium: Opus Arena Attendance: 12,612 Referee: François Letexier (France) |
12 October 2024 Nations League | Poland ![]() |
1–3 | ![]() |
Warsaw, Poland |
20:45 CEST (UTC+2) |
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Stadium: National Stadium Attendance: 56,854 Referee: Serdar Gözübüyük (Netherlands) |
15 October 2024 Nations League | Poland ![]() |
3–3 | ![]() |
Warsaw, Poland |
20:45 CEST (UTC+2) |
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Stadium: National Stadium Attendance: 56,103 Referee: Alejandro Hernández Hernández (Spain) |
15 November 2024 Nations League | Portugal ![]() |
5–1 | ![]() |
Porto, Portugal |
19:45 WET (UTC±0) | Stadium: Estádio do Dragão Attendance: 47,239 Referee: Donatas Rumšas (Lithuania) |
18 November 2024 Nations League | Poland ![]() |
1–2 | ![]() |
Warsaw, Poland |
20:45 CET (UTC+1) |
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Stadium: National Stadium Attendance: 55,433 Referee: Christian Dingert (Germany) |
2025
21 March 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Poland ![]() |
1–0 | ![]() |
Warsaw, Poland |
20:45 CET (UTC+1) |
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Stadium: National Stadium Attendance: 55,738 Referee: Tasos Sidiropoulos (Greece) |
24 March 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Poland ![]() |
2–0 | ![]() |
Warsaw, Poland |
20:45 CET (UTC+1) | Stadium: National Stadium Attendance: 45,872 Referee: Morten Krogh (Denmark) |
6 June 2025 Friendly | Poland ![]() |
2–0 | ![]() |
Chorzów, Poland |
20:45 CEST (UTC+2) | Stadium: Stadion Śląski Attendance: 36,357 Referee: David Dickinson (Scotland) |
10 June 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Finland ![]() |
2–1 | ![]() |
Helsinki, Finland |
21:45 EEST (UTC+3) |
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Stadium: Helsinki Olympic Stadium Attendance: 16,511 Referee: João Pinheiro (Portugal) |
4 September 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Netherlands ![]() |
v | ![]() |
Rotterdam, Netherlands |
20:45 CEST (UTC+2) | Stadium: De Kuip |
7 September 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Poland ![]() |
v | ![]() |
Chorzów, Poland |
20:45 CEST (UTC+1) | Stadium: Stadion Śląski |
TBD October 2025 Friendly | Poland ![]() |
v | ![]() |
Gdańsk, Poland |
TBD | Stadium: Gdańsk Stadium |
12 October 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Lithuania ![]() |
v | ![]() |
Kaunas, Lithuania |
21:45 EEST (UTC+3) | Stadium: Darius and Girėnas Stadium |
14 November 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Poland ![]() |
v | ![]() |
Warsaw, Poland |
20:45 CET (UTC+1) | Stadium: National Stadium |
17 November 2025 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification | Malta ![]() |
v | ![]() |
Ta' Qali, Malta |
20:45 CET (UTC+1) | Stadium: National Stadium |
Team Staff
Coaching History
- Caretaker managers are in italics.
Before 1966, a committee chose the Polish team.
Michał Matyas (1966–1967)
Ryszard Koncewicz (1968–1970)
Kazimierz Górski (1971–1976)
Jacek Gmoch (1976–1978)
Ryszard Kulesza (1978–1980)
Antoni Piechniczek (1981–1986, 1996–1997)
Wojciech Łazarek (1986–1989)
Andrzej Strejlau (1989–1993)
Lesław Ćmikiewicz (1993)
Henryk Apostel (1994–1995)
Władysław Stachurski (1996)
Krzysztof Pawlak (1997)
Janusz Wójcik (1997–1999)
Jerzy Engel (2000–2002)
Zbigniew Boniek (2002)
Paweł Janas (2003–2006)
Leo Beenhakker (2006–2009)
Stefan Majewski (2009)
Franciszek Smuda (2009–2012)
Waldemar Fornalik (2012–2013)
Adam Nawałka (2013–2018)
Jerzy Brzęczek (2018–2021)
Paulo Sousa (2021)
Czesław Michniewicz (2022)
Fernando Santos (2023)
Michał Probierz (2023–2025)
Jan Urban (2025–present)
Players
Current Squad
These players were called up for recent matches in June 2025.
Caps and goals are updated as of June 10, 2025, after the match against Finland.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
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1 | GK | Łukasz Skorupski | 5 May 1991 | 17 | 0 | ![]() |
12 | GK | Marcin Bułka | 4 October 1999 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
22 | GK | Bartosz Mrozek | 23 February 2000 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
GK | Mateusz Kochalski | 25 July 2000 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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2 | DF | Matty Cash | 7 August 1997 | 19 | 2 | ![]() |
3 | DF | Paweł Dawidowicz | 20 May 1995 | 17 | 0 | Free agent |
4 | DF | Mateusz Wieteska | 11 February 1997 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
5 | DF | Jan Bednarek | 12 April 1996 | 69 | 1 | ![]() |
14 | DF | Jakub Kiwior | 15 February 2000 | 35 | 2 | ![]() |
15 | DF | Sebastian Walukiewicz | 5 April 2000 | 10 | 1 | ![]() |
16 | DF | Mateusz Skrzypczak | 22 August 2000 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
18 | DF | Bartosz Bereszyński | 12 July 1992 | 58 | 0 | Free agent |
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6 | MF | Jakub Piotrowski | 4 October 1997 | 12 | 2 | ![]() |
7 | MF | Mateusz Bogusz | 22 August 2001 | 5 | 0 | ![]() |
8 | MF | Jakub Moder | 7 April 1999 | 35 | 2 | ![]() |
10 | MF | Sebastian Szymański | 10 May 1999 | 45 | 5 | ![]() |
13 | MF | Jakub Kamiński | 5 June 2002 | 22 | 1 | ![]() |
17 | MF | Bartosz Slisz | 29 March 1999 | 17 | 1 | ![]() |
19 | MF | Przemysław Frankowski | 12 April 1995 | 50 | 3 | ![]() |
20 | MF | Maxi Oyedele | 7 November 2004 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
21 | MF | Nicola Zalewski | 23 January 2002 | 29 | 3 | ![]() |
MF | Oskar Repka | 3 January 1999 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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9 | FW | Adam Buksa | 12 July 1996 | 23 | 7 | ![]() |
11 | FW | Karol Świderski | 23 January 1997 | 42 | 13 | ![]() |
23 | FW | Krzysztof Piątek | 1 July 1995 | 37 | 12 | ![]() |
Recent Call-ups
These players have been called up for the national team in the last year.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
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GK | Bartłomiej Drągowski | 19 August 1997 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
GK | Kacper Trelowski | 19 August 2003 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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DF | Kamil Piątkowski | 21 June 2000 | 8 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Tymoteusz Puchacz | 23 January 1999 | 15 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Michał Gurgul | 30 January 2006 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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MF | Piotr Zieliński (captain) | 20 May 1994 | 99 | 14 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Kamil Grosicki RET | 8 June 1988 | 95 | 17 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Kacper Urbański | 7 September 2004 | 11 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Dominik Marczuk | 1 November 2003 | 1 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Bartosz Kapustka | 23 December 1996 | 15 | 3 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Antoni Kozubal | 18 August 2004 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Taras Romanczuk | 14 November 1991 | 5 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Kacper Kozłowski | 16 October 2003 | 6 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Michael Ameyaw | 16 September 2000 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Mateusz Kowalczyk | 16 April 2004 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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FW | Robert Lewandowski | 21 August 1988 | 158 | 85 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
INJ Withdrew from the squad due to an injury. PRE Preliminary squad. RET Retired from the national team. |
Player Records
- Players in bold are still active with Poland.
Most Games Played
Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
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1 | Robert Lewandowski | 158 | 85 | 2008–present |
2 | Jakub Błaszczykowski | 109 | 21 | 2006–2023 |
3 | Kamil Glik | 103 | 6 | 2010–2022 |
4 | Michał Żewłakow | 102 | 3 | 1999–2011 |
5 | Grzegorz Krychowiak | 100 | 5 | 2008–2023 |
Grzegorz Lato | 100 | 45 | 1971–1984 | |
7 | Piotr Zieliński | 99 | 14 | 2013–present |
8 | Kazimierz Deyna | 97 | 41 | 1968–1978 |
9 | Jacek Bąk | 96 | 3 | 1993–2008 |
Jacek Krzynówek | 96 | 15 | 1998–2009 |
Top Goalscorers
Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
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1 | Robert Lewandowski (list) | 85 | 158 | 0.54 | 2008–present |
2 | Włodzimierz Lubański | 48 | 75 | 0.64 | 1963–1980 |
3 | Grzegorz Lato | 45 | 100 | 0.45 | 1971–1984 |
4 | Kazimierz Deyna | 41 | 97 | 0.42 | 1968–1978 |
5 | Ernest Pol | 39 | 46 | 0.85 | 1955–1965 |
6 | Andrzej Szarmach | 32 | 61 | 0.52 | 1973–1982 |
7 | Gerard Cieślik | 27 | 45 | 0.6 | 1947–1958 |
8 | Zbigniew Boniek | 24 | 80 | 0.3 | 1976–1988 |
9 | Ernest Wilimowski | 21 | 22 | 0.95 | 1934–1939 |
Jakub Błaszczykowski | 21 | 109 | 0.19 | 2006–2023 |
Most Clean Sheets (Goalkeepers)
Rank | Player | Clean sheets | Caps | Ratio | Career |
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1 | Wojciech Szczęsny | 34 | 84 | 0.4 | 2009–2024 |
2 | Łukasz Fabiański | 27 | 57 | 0.47 | 2006–2021 |
3 | Józef Wandzik | 25 | 52 | 0.48 | 1985–1995 |
4 | Artur Boruc | 24 | 65 | 0.37 | 2004–2017 |
5 | Jerzy Dudek | 23 | 60 | 0.38 | 1998–2013 |
Jan Tomaszewski | 23 | 63 | 0.37 | 1971–1981 | |
7 | Adam Matysek | 20 | 34 | 0.59 | 1991–2002 |
8 | Hubert Kostka | 13 | 32 | 0.41 | 1962–1972 |
Jarosław Bako | 13 | 35 | 0.37 | 1988–1993 | |
Józef Młynarczyk | 13 | 42 | 0.31 | 1979–1986 |
Most Games as Captain
Rank | Player | Captain caps | Total caps | Career |
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1 | Robert Lewandowski | 92 | 158 | 2008–present |
2 | Kazimierz Deyna | 57 | 97 | 1968–1978 |
3 | Jakub Błaszczykowski | 32 | 109 | 2006–2023 |
4 | Jacek Bąk | 29 | 96 | 1993–2008 |
5 | Tomasz Wałdoch | 27 | 74 | 1991–2002 |
6 | Michał Żewłakow | 25 | 102 | 1999–2011 |
7 | Henryk Szczepański | 24 | 45 | 1957–1965 |
8 | Gerard Cieślik | 22 | 45 | 1947–1958 |
9 | Waldemar Prusik | 21 | 49 | 1983–1991 |
Stanisław Oślizło | 21 | 57 | 1961–1971 | |
Władysław Żmuda | 21 | 91 | 1973–1986 |
Team Achievements
Major Competitions
Friendly Tournaments
- Nehru Cup
- Champions (1): 1984
- Runners-up (1): 1988
- Cyprus International Football Tournament
- Champions (1): 1997
- Valeriy Lobanovskyi Memorial Tournament
- Champions (1): 2005
- King's Cup
- Runners-up (1): 2010
Summary of Medals
Competition | ![]() |
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Total |
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FIFA World Cup | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Olympic Games | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
UEFA European Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Polonia para niños