Poland at the FIFA World Cup
This is a record of Poland's results at the FIFA World Cup. They have qualified for the finals on nine occasions, most recently in 2022. The FIFA World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the first tournament in 1930, except in 1942 and 1946, due to World War II.
Polish fans at the 2018 World Cup in Moscow, Russia
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Poland - Colombia match at the 2018 World Cup in Kazan, Russia
The tournament consists of two parts, the qualification phase and the final phase (officially called the World Cup Finals). The qualification phase, which currently take place over the three years preceding the Finals, is used to determine which teams qualify for the Finals. The current format of the Finals involves 32 teams competing for the title, at venues within the host nation (or nations) over a period of about a month. The World Cup Finals is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world, with an estimated 715.1 million people watching the 2006 tournament final.[1]
In World Cup history, Poland has participated in nine World Cup editions, started with the 1938 World Cup where they lost to Brazil in a 5–6 thriller.[2] It took Poland thirty-six years later to qualify for another World Cup, where they began to stun the world from eliminating former world champions England in 1974 qualification, to finishing third twice, in 1974 and 1982 editions.[3] After participating in 1986, Poland started to decline and lost momentum in global football.
Since the fall of communist rule in Poland at 1989, Poland managed to qualify for 2002, 2006 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, but the team was unable to repeat the feat of the predecessors, went out from the group stage in all three tournaments with two opening losses before gained a consolidating win in the last match.[4] In 2022, Poland, for the first time since 1986, didn't begin the tournament with a defeat, after holding Mexico goalless, and ultimately went on to advance to the knockout stage for the first time in 36 years.
World Cup record
| Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1930 |
Did not enter | |||||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} 1934 | ||||||||
 1938 | Round 1 | 11th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} 1950 |
Did not enter | |||||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} 1954 | ||||||||
 1958 |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 1962 | ||||||||
 1966 | ||||||||
 1970 | ||||||||
 1974 | Third place | 3rd | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 5 |
 1978 | Second group stage | 5th | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
 1982 | Third place | 3rd | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 5 |
| 1986 | Round of 16 | 14th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
 1990 |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 1994 | ||||||||
| 1998 | ||||||||
.svg.png.webp){kind=small}  2002 | Group stage | 25th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 2006 | 21st | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
 2010 |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 2014 | ||||||||
 2018 | Group stage | 25th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
 2022 | Round of 16 | 15th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} 2026 | To be determined | |||||||
| Total | Third place | 9/22 | 38 | 17 | 6 | 15 | 49 | 50 |
| Poland's World Cup record | |
|---|---|
| First Match | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Poland 5–6 Brazil (5 June 1938; Strasbourg, France) |
| Biggest Win | Poland 7–0 Haiti .svg.png.webp){kind=small} (19 June 1974; Munich, West Germany) |
| Biggest Defeat | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Brazil 4–0 Poland  (16 June 1986; Guadalajara, Mexico) Poland 0–4 Portugal  (10 June 2002; Jeonju, South Korea) |
| Best Result | Third place in 1974 and 1982 |
| Worst Result | Group stage in 1938, 2002, 2006 and 2018 |
Match records
1938 FIFA World Cup
| ||
First round
| 5 June 1938 | Brazil | 6–5 (a.e.t.) | Poland | Strasbourg, France |
| 17:30 (WEST) | Leônidas  18', 93', 104'Romeu 25'Perácio 44', 71' |
(4-4,3-1) Report (FIFA) |
Scherfke 23' (pen.) Wilimowski 53', 59', 89', 118' |
Stadium: Stade de la Meinau Attendance: 13,452 Referee: Ivan Eklind (Sweden) |
1974 FIFA World Cup
| | |
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poland |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 | +9 | 6 | Advance to second round |
| 2 | Argentina |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 3 | |
| 3 | Italy |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 3 | |
| 4 | Haiti |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 14 | −12 | 0 |
Source: FIFA
| 15 June 1974 | Poland | 3–2 | Argentina | Stuttgart, West Germany |
| 18:00 CET | Lato 7', 62' Szarmach 8' |
(2-0) Report (FIFA) |
Heredia 60' Babington 66' |
Stadium: Neckarstadion Attendance: 32,700 Referee: Clive Thomas (Wales) |
| 19 June 1974 | Haiti | 0–7 | Poland | Munich, West Germany |
| 19:30 CET | (0-5) Report (FIFA) |
Lato 17', 87' Deyna 18'Szarmach 30', 34', 50'Gorgoń 31' |
Stadium: Olympiastadion Attendance: 25,300 Referee: Govindasamy Suppiah (Singapore) |
| 23 June 1974 | Poland | 2–1 | Italy | Stuttgart, West Germany |
| 16:00 CET | Szarmach 38' Deyna 44' |
(2-0) Report |
Capello 85' |
Stadium: Neckarstadion Attendance: 70,100 Referee: Hans-Joachim Weyland (West Germany) |
Second group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Germany |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 6 | Advance to final |
| 2 | Poland |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 | Advance to third place play-off |
| 3 | Sweden |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 | 2 | |
| 4 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Yugoslavia |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 0 |
Source: FIFA
| 26 June 1974 | Sweden | 0–1 | Poland | Stuttgart, West Germany |
| 19:30 CET | (0-1) Report (FIFA) |
Lato 43' |
Stadium: Neckarstadion Attendance: 44,955 Referee: Ramón Barreto (Uruguay) |
| 30 June 1974 | Poland | 2–1 | Yugoslavia | Frankfurt, West Germany |
| 16:00 CET | Deyna 24' (pen.) Lato 62' |
(1-1) Report (FIFA) |
Karasi 43' |
Stadium: Waldstadion Attendance: 58,000 Referee: Rudi Glöckner (East Germany) |
| 3 July 1974 | Poland | 0–1 | West Germany | Frankfurt, West Germany |
| 16:30 CET | (0-0) Report (FIFA) |
Müller 76' |
Stadium: Waldstadion Attendance: 62,000 Referee: Erich Linemayr (Austria) |
Third place playoff
| 6 July 1974 | Brazil | 0–1 | Poland | Munich, West Germany |
| 16:00 CET | (0-0) Report(FIFA) |
Lato 76' |
Stadium: Olympiastadion Attendance: 77,100 Referee: Aurelio Angonese (Italy) |
1978 FIFA World Cup
| ||
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poland |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 5 | Advance to second round |
| 2 | West Germany |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 4 | |
| 3 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Tunisia |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 | |
| 4 | Mexico |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 12 | −10 | 0 |
Source: FIFA
| 1 June 1978 | West Germany | 0–0 | Poland | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| 15:00 ART | Report (FIFA) | Stadium: Estadio Monumental Attendance: 67,579 Referee: Ángel Norberto Coerezza (Argentina) |
| 6 June 1978 | Poland | 1–0 | Tunisia | Rosario, Argentina |
| 16:45 ART | Lato 43' |
(1-0) Report (FIFA) |
Stadium: Estadio Gigante de Arroyito Attendance: 9,624 Referee: Ángel Franco Martínez (Spain) |
| 10 June 1978 | Poland | 3–1 | Mexico | Rosario, Argentina |
| 16:45 ART | Boniek 43', 84' Deyna 56' |
(1-0) Report (FIFA) |
Rangel 52' |
Stadium: Estadio Gigante de Arroyito Attendance: 22,651 Referee: Jafar Namdar (Iran) |
Second group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | +8 | 5 | Advance to final |
| 2 | Brazil |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | +5 | 5 | Advance to third place play-off |
| 3 | Poland |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 2 | |
| 4 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Peru |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 10 | −10 | 0 |
Source: FIFA
| 14 June 1978 | Argentina | 2–0 | Poland | Rosario, Argentina |
| 19:15 ART | Kempes 16', 72' |
(1-0) Report (FIFA) |
Stadium: Estadio Gigante de Arroyito Attendance: 37,091 Referee: Ulf Eriksson (Sweden) |
| 18 June 1978 | Peru | 0–1 | Poland | Mendoza, Argentina |
| 13:45 ART | (0-0) Report (FIFA) |
Szarmach 64' |
Stadium: Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza Attendance: 35,288 Referee: Pat Partridge (England) |
| 21 June 1978 | Poland | 1–3 | Brazil | Mendoza, Argentina |
| 16:45 ART | Lato 45' |
(1-1) Report (FIFA) |
Nelinho 13' Roberto Dinamite 58', 63' |
Stadium: Estadio Ciudad de Mendoza Attendance: 39,586 Referee: Juan Silvagno Cavanna (Chile) |
1982 FIFA World Cup
| ||
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poland |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 4 | Advance to second round |
| 2 | Italy |
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 3 |  Cameroon |
3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| 4 | Peru |
3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 2 |
Source: FIFA
| 14 June 1982 | Italy | 0–0 | Poland | Vigo, Spain |
| 17:15 CEST | Report (FIFA) | Stadium: Balaídos Attendance: 33,040 Referee: Michel Vautrot (France) |
| 19 June 1982 | Poland | 0–0 | Cameroon | A Coruña, Spain |
| 17:15 CEST | Report (FIFA) | Stadium: Estadio de Riazor Attendance: 19,000 Referee: Alexis Ponnet (Belgium) |
Second group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Poland |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 3 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 |  Soviet Union |
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 | |
| 3 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Belgium |
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | −4 | 0 |
Source: FIFA
| 28 June 1982 | Poland | 3–0 | Belgium | Barcelona, Spain |
| 21:00 CEST | Boniek 4', 26', 53' |
(2-0) Report |
Stadium: Camp Nou Attendance: 65,000 Referee: Luis Paulino Siles (Costa Rica) |
| 4 July 1982 | Soviet Union | 0–0 | Poland | Barcelona, Spain |
| 21:00 CEST | Report (FIFA) | Stadium: Camp Nou Attendance: 65,000 Referee: Bob Valentine (Scotland) |
Semi-finals
| 8 July 1982 | Poland | 0–2 | Italy | Barcelona, Spain |
| 17:15 CEST | (0-1) Report (FIFA) |
Rossi 22', 73' |
Stadium: Camp Nou Attendance: 50,000 Referee: Juan Daniel Cardellino (Uruguay) |
Third place playoff
| 10 July 1982 | Poland | 3–2 | France | Alicante, Spain |
| 20:00 CEST | Szarmach 40' Majewski 44'Kupcewicz 46' |
(2-1) Report (FIFA) |
Girard 13' Couriol 72' |
Stadium: Estadio José Rico Pérez Attendance: 28,000 Referee: António Garrido (Portugal) |
1986 FIFA World Cup
| | |
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Morocco |
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 4 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | England |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 3 | |
| 3 | Poland |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | −2 | 3 | |
| 4 | Portugal |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 2 |
Source: FIFA
| 2 June 1986 | Morocco | 0–0 | Poland | Monterrey, Mexico |
| 16:00 CST | Report (FIFA) | Stadium: Estadio Universitario Attendance: 19,900 Referee: José Luis Martínez Bazán (Uruguay) |
| 7 June 1986 | Poland | 1–0 | Portugal | Monterrey, Mexico |
| 16:00 CST | Smolarek 68' |
(0-0) Report (FIFA) |
Stadium: Estadio Universitario Attendance: 19,915 Referee: Ali Bin Nasser (Tunisia) |
| 11 June 1986 | England | 3–0 | Poland | Monterrey, Mexico |
| 16:00 CST | Lineker 9', 14', 34' |
(3-0) Report (FIFA) |
Stadium: Estadio Tecnológico Attendance: 22,700 Referee: André Daina (Switzerland) |
Round of 16
| 16 June 1986 | Brazil | 4–0 | Poland | Guadalajara, Mexico |
| 12:00 CST | Sócrates 30' (pen.) Josimar 55'Edinho 79'Careca 83' (pen.) |
(1-0) Report (FIFA) |
Stadium: Estadio Jalisco Attendance: 45,000 Referee: Volker Roth (West Germany) |
2002 FIFA World Cup
| ||
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea (H) |
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} United States |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 4 | |
| 3 | Portugal |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 3 | |
| 4 | Poland |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | −4 | 3 |
| 4 June 2002 | South Korea | 2–0 | Poland | Busan, South Korea |
| 20:30 | Hwang Sun-hong 26' Yoo Sang-chul 53' |
(1-0) Report (FIFA) |
Stadium: Busan Asiad Main Stadium Attendance: 48,760 Referee: Óscar Ruiz (Colombia) |
| 10 June 2002 | Portugal | 4–0 | Poland | Jeonju, South Korea |
| 20:30 | Pauleta 14', 65', 77' Rui Costa 88' |
(1-0) Report |
Stadium: Jeonju World Cup Stadium Attendance: 31,000 Referee: Hugh Dallas (Scotland) |
| 14 June 2002 | Poland | 3–1 | United States | Daejon, South Korea |
| 20:30 | Olisadebe 3' Kryszałowicz 5'Żewłakow 66' |
(2-0) Report |
Donovan 83' |
Stadium: Daejeon World Cup Stadium Attendance: 26,482 Referee: Lu Jun (China) |
2006 FIFA World Cup
| | |
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany (H) |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | 9 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Ecuador |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 6 | |
| 3 | Poland |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 3 | |
| 4 |  Costa Rica |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 | −6 | 0 |
| 9 June 2006 | Poland | 0–2 |  Ecuador | Gelsenkirchen, Germany |
| 21:00 | (0-1) Report (FIFA) |
24' C. Tenorio 80' Delgado |
Stadium: FIFA WM Stadion Gelsenkirchen Attendance: 52,000 Referee: Toru Kamikawa (Japan) |
| 14 June 2006 | Germany | 1–0 | Poland | Dortmund, Germany |
| 21:00 | Neuville 90+1' |
(0-0) Report (FIFA) |
 28'  75' Sobolewski |
Stadium: FIFA WM Stadion Dortmund Attendance: 65,000 Referee: Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain) |
| 20 June 2006 | Costa Rica | 1–2 | Poland | Hanover, Germany |
| 16:00 | Gómez 25' |
Report (FIFA) | 33', 65' Bosacki |
Stadium: FIFA WM Stadion Hannover Attendance: 43,000 Referee: Shamsul Maidin (Singapore) |
2018 FIFA World Cup
| | |
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Colombia |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 6 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | Japan |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4[lower-alpha 1] | |
| 3 |  Senegal |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4[lower-alpha 1] | |
| 4 | Poland |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | −3 | 3 |
- Fair play points: Japan −4, Senegal −6.
| 19 June 2018 | Poland | 1–2 | Senegal | Moscow, Russia |
| 18:00 | Krychowiak 86' |
(0-1) Report (FIFA) |
37' (o.g.) Cionek 60' Niang |
Stadium: Otkritie Arena Attendance: 44,190 Referee: Nawaf Shukralla (Bahrain) |
| 24 June 2018 | Poland | 0–3 | Colombia | Kazan, Russia |
| 21:00 | (0-1) Report (FIFA) |
40' Mina 70' Falcao 75' Ju. Cuadrado |
Stadium: Kazan Arena Attendance: 42,873 Referee: César Arturo Ramos (Mexico) |
| 28 June 2018 | Japan | 0–1 | Poland | Volgograd, Russia |
| 17:00 | Report (FIFA) | 59' Bednarek |
Stadium: Volgograd Arena Attendance: 42,189 Referee: Janny Sikazwe (Zambia) |
2022 FIFA World Cup
Group stage
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina |
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 6 | Advanced to knockout stage |
| 2 | Poland |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | |
| 3 | Mexico |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 4 | |
| 4 |  Saudi Arabia |
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | −2 | 3 |
| Poland | 2–0 | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
Knockout stage
- Round of 16
Record players
Władysław Żmuda, who participated in all four World Cups of Poland's Golden Generation, also holds the shared record as player with the most FIFA World Cup matches without ever winning the trophy. He is tied with Paolo Maldini and Uwe Seeler, but is the only one of those three from a country that has never won the World Cup, either.
| Rank | Player | Matches | World Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Władysław Żmuda | 21 | 1974, 1978, 1982 and 1986 |
| 2 | Grzegorz Lato | 20 | 1974, 1978 and 1982 |
| 3 | Zbigniew Boniek | 16 | 1978, 1982 and 1986 |
| 4 | Kazimierz Deyna | 13 | 1974 and 1978 |
| Henryk Kasperczak | 13 | 1974 and 1978 | |
| Andrzej Szarmach | 13 | 1974, 1978 and 1982 | |
| Antoni Szymanowski | 13 | 1974 and 1978 | |
| 8 | Jerzy Gorgoń | 12 | 1974 and 1978 |
| 9 | Jan Tomaszewski | 11 | 1974 and 1978 |
| Stefan Majewski | 11 | 1982 and 1986 | |
| Józef Młynarczyk | 11 | 1982 and 1986 | |
Top goalscorers
Ernst Wilimowski was the first player ever to score four goals in one match at a FIFA World Cup, and to this day is the only player who managed this feat and still lost the match.
| Rank | Player | Goals | World Cups |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grzegorz Lato | 10 | 1974 (7), 1978 (2) and 1982 (1) |
| 2 | Andrzej Szarmach | 7 | 1974 (5), 1978 (1) and 1982 (1) |
| 3 | Zbigniew Boniek | 6 | 1978 (2) and 1982 (4) |
| 4 | Ernst Wilimowski | 4 | 1938 (4) |
| Kazimierz Deyna | 4 | 1974 (3) and 1978 (1) | |
| 5 | Włodzimierz Smolarek | 2 | 1982 (1) and 1986 (1) |
| Bartosz Bosacki | 2 | 2006 (2) | |
| Robert Lewandowski | 2 | 2022 (2) | |
Goalscoring by Tournament
References
- 2006 FIFA World Cup TV Coverage (PDF), FIFA.com. Retrieved on 6 June 2007.
- "1938 FIFA World Cup France - Matches - Brazil-Poland". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on June 20, 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- "From clowns to Kings: When Poland (almost) ruled the soccer world". CNN.com. Cable News Network. 8 June 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- "Poland failed to deliver at a World Cup yet again". prostamerika.com. WordPress Development. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- FIFA.com
External links
- Official website (in Polish and English)
- FIFA Official Ranking of all Participants at Finals 1930–2002. FIFA Match Results for all Stages 1930–2002
- Poland at the FIFA official site
- Poland – Record International Players; most capped players & top goalscorers at RSSSF.com
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