Poland entered the World Cup after six wins and two draws in their qualification campaign. Although they lost to England 2-1 at Wembley and drew 1-1 in Warsaw with to a stoppage-time equalizer from Damian Szymanski, that was only good enough for second place in their group. A playoff spot was guaranteed for the group’s runners-up position, and due of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it was disqualified from World Cup qualifying, giving Poland a bye to the semifinals. Because of goals from Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski, Poland defeated Sweden 2-0 in Chorzow to secure a spot in Qatar.
Poland is taking part in their eighth World Cup in Qatar. They made their debut in 1938, although they took a long hiatus from the sport until returning in 1974. Poland performed well at the competition, finishing third, and eight years later they matched that success in Spain. After a 12-year absence, Poland reentered the competition in Russia four years ago. Attempts in 2002 and 2006 resulted in eliminations during the group stage. Adam Nawalka’s team only managed to win one game; they dropped the other two, and they also fell short in the group stage.
When Poland travels to Qatar this winter, they’ll be hoping to improve upon their 2014 World Cup performance, and their chances of doing so may depend on their opening match against Mexico on November 22. Every World Cup squad will find it challenging to try to get off to a fast start. There isn’t much time for preparation as the tournament is in the middle of the season, but Poland’s opening match might be the most important. Poland was placed in a group with Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Argentina, and Many observers anticipate that Poland will lose to Argentina and triumph over Saudi Arabia, making their matchup with Mexico possibly crucial.
For more football news, click here
