Poland National Team Squad: Important 2026 World Cup Play-Offs Ahead As Head Coach Jan Urban Announces Squad

Warsaw—With a berth in this summer’s 2026 World Cup on the line, Poland head coach Jan Urban has unveiled a 25-man roster built to navigate the sudden-death path that has become familiar to the White and Reds.

Poland, runners-up behind the Netherlands in qualifying Group D, open the play-offs with a March semi-final against Albania. Victory would send them straight into a winner-take-all final versus either Ukraine or Sweden for North America’s last ticket.

Urban’s selection, released on Friday afternoon, balances star power with emerging talent. Captain Robert Lewandowski, 37, will anchor the attack as he chases both a seventh consecutive major-tournament appearance and the 100-goal milestone for his country. The Barcelona striker recorded four goals and three assists during the qualifying phase.

Between the posts, the retirement of longtime starters Lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny—and a season-ending injury to presumed No. 1 Lukasz Skorupski—has left the gloves up for grabs. Widzew Lodz’s Bartlomiej Dragowski, the most-capped keeper in the quartet, is expected to get the nod ahead of Kamil Grabara (VfL Wolfsburg), Mateusz Kochalski (Qarabag FK) and uncapped Bartosz Mrozek (Lech Poznan).

Defensively, Jan Bednarek and Jakub Kiwior bring Champions League minutes with FC Porto, while Aston Villa’s Matty Cash offers width and pace. AS Roma teenager Jan Ziolkowski and FC St. Pauli’s Arkadiusz Pyrka are among four players under 23 who could debut this window, joined by midfielders Oskar Pietuszewski—already a headline-maker in Portugal—and Sturm Graz’s Filip Rozga.

Experience arrives in midfield through Inter Milan’s Piotr Zielinski and Feyenoord’s Jakub Moder, while Sebastian Szymanski (Stade Rennais) and Gent’s Michal Skoras provide creativity on the flanks. Up front, Krzysztof Piatek (Al-Duhail) and Karol Swiderski (Panathinaikos) offer alternatives to Lewandowski.

Urban, aware that Poland have won each of their last two play-off campaigns, resisted the temptation to flood the squad with youth, instead selecting a core he believes is peaking at the right time. The payoff, he hopes, will be a flight across the Atlantic in June rather than a summer spent watching from home.

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