Poland’s impressive run to World Cup qualification proposed dark-horse status in Qatar, but manager Paulo Sousa’s sudden departure in December has left much to prove.
Sousa led Robert Lewandowski and his colleagues to the runners-up spot in Group I behind England, before quitting his post to join Brazilian side Flamengo.
Czeslaw Michniewicz is the new man aiming to play Poland’s first World Cup knockout match since 1986. In his second match, the former Legia Warsaw boss masterminded a 2-0 victory over Sweden in the European playoff final to seal qualification.
With a squad that blends experienced stars with career journeymen and unproven young talents, Michniewicz’s key task will be unlocking Lewandowski in what could be be the captain’s final World Cup.
More: Poland’s World Cup 2022 fixtures and schedule
Projected Poland World Cup squad 2022
Michniewicz will have until Friday, October 21 to submit an official preliminary list of 35-55 players to FIFA, from which he will select a final 26-man roster for Qatar by Monday, November 14.
Based on World Cup qualifying squads and friendly rosters over the past year, these are the names most likely to be on his preliminary list.
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Wojciech Szczesny | Juventus (ITA) | 32 | 66 |
| Goalkeeper | Bartlomiej Dragowski | Spezia (ITA) | 25 | 2 |
| Goalkeeper | Lukasz Skorupski | Bologna (ITA) | 31 | 7 |
| Goalkeeper | Radoslaw Majecki | Club Brugge (BEL) | 22 | 1 |
| Defender | Jan Bednarek | Aston Villa (ENG) | 26 | 44 |
| Defender | Kamil Glik | Benevento (ITA) | 34 | 98 |
| Defender | Matty Cash | Aston Villa (ENG) | 25 | 7 |
| Defender | Jakub Kiwior | Spezia (ITA) | 22 | 2 |
| Defender | Robert Gumny | FC Augsburg (GER) | 24 | 4 |
| Defender | Bartosz Bereszynski | Sampdoria (ITA) | 30 | 45 |
| Defender | Tomasz Kedziora | Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) | 28 | 26 |
| Defender | Arkadiusz Reca | Spezia (ITA) | 27 | 15 |
| Defender | Mateusz Wieteska | Clermont (FRA) | 25 | 1 |
| Defender | Michal Helik | Huddersfield (ENG) | 27 | 7 |
| Midfielder | Michal Skoras | Lech Poznan (POL) | 22 | 1 |
| Midfielder | Grzegorz Krychowiak | Al-Shabab (SAU) | 32 | 93 |
| Midfielder | Mateusz Klich | Leeds United (ENG) | 32 | 41 |
| Midfielder | Nicola Zalewski | Roma (ITA) | 20 | 7 |
| Midfielder | Piotr Zielinski | Napoli (ITA) | 28 | 74 |
| Midfielder | Karol Linetty | Torino (ENG) | 27 | 42 |
| Midfielder | Kamil Grosicki | Pogon Szczecin (POL) | 34 | 86 |
| Midfielder | Przemyslaw Frankowski | Lens (FRA) | 27 | 25 |
| Midfielder | Sebastian Szymanski | Feyenoord (NED) | 23 | 17 |
| Midfielder | Szymon Zurkowski | Fiorentina (ITA) | 25 | 6 |
| Midfielder | Jakub Kaminski | Wolfsburg (GER) | 20 | 3 |
| Midfielder | Jakub Piotrowski | Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) | 25 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Kamil Jozwiak | Charlotte (USA) | 24 | 22 |
| Midfielder | Jacek Goralski | Vfl Bochum (GER) | 30 | 21 |
| Forward | Adam Buska | Lens (FRA) | 24 | 9 |
| Forward | Krzysztof Pitaek | Salernitana (ITA) | 27 | 10 |
| Forward | Karol Swiderski | Charlotte (USA) | 25 | 17 |
| Forward | Arkadiusz Milik | Juventus (ITA) | 28 | 63 |
| Forward | Robert Lewandowski | Barcelona (SPA) | 34 | 134 |
Final 26-man Poland World Cup roster
The Poles kick off their challenge in Qatar by facing Mexico on November 22, but first they’ll play one final friendly fixture against Chile on November 16.
Alexis Sanchez and his Chile teammates will take on the Poles just two days after Michniewicz is scheduled to confirm his 26-man roster.
Here’s a projected look at who could conceivably make it onto the plane, assuming everyone is fit and available.
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Wojciech Szczesny | Juventus (ITA) | 32 | 66 |
| Goalkeeper | Bartlomiej Dragowski | Spezia (ITA) | 25 | 2 |
| Goalkeeper | Lukasz Skorupski | Bologna (ITA) | 31 | 7 |
| Defender | Jan Bednarek | Aston Villa (ENG) | 26 | 44 |
| Defender | Kamil Glik | Benevento (ITA) | 34 | 98 |
| Defender | Matty Cash | Aston Villa (ENG) | 25 | 7 |
| Defender | Jakub Kiwior | Spezia (ITA) | 22 | 2 |
| Defender | Robert Gumny | FC Augsburg (GER) | 24 | 4 |
| Defender | Bartosz Bereszynski | Sampdoria (ITA) | 30 | 45 |
| Defender | Tomasz Kedziora | Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) | 28 | 26 |
| Defender | Arkadiusz Reca | Spezia (ITA) | 27 | 15 |
| Midfielder | Grzegorz Krychowiak | Al-Shabab (SAU) | 32 | 93 |
| Midfielder | Mateusz Klich | Leeds United (ENG) | 32 | 41 |
| Midfielder | Nicola Zalewski | Roma (ITA) | 20 | 7 |
| Midfielder | Piotr Zielinski | Napoli (ITA) | 28 | 74 |
| Midfielder | Karol Linetty | Torino (ENG) | 27 | 42 |
| Midfielder | Przemyslaw Frankowski | Lens (FRA) | 27 | 25 |
| Midfielder | Sebastian Szymanski | Feyenoord (NED) | 23 | 17 |
| Midfielder | Szymon Zurkowski | Fiorentina (ITA) | 25 | 6 |
| Midfielder | Jakub Kaminski | Wolfsburg (GER) | 20 | 3 |
| Midfielder | Kamil Grosicki | Pogon Szczecin (POL) | 34 | 86 |
| Midfielder | Jacek Goralski | Vfl Bochum (GER) | 30 | 21 |
| Forward | Krzysztof Pitaek | Salernitana (ITA) | 27 | 10 |
| Forward | Karol Swiderski | Charlotte (USA) | 25 | 17 |
| Forward | Arkadiusz Milik | Juventus (ITA) | 28 | 63 |
| Forward | Robert Lewandowski | Barcelona (ESP) | 34 | 134 |
Poland best player, strengths & weaknesses
Just one victory in their last five games means Poland will go into the tournament needing to find some momentum. However, there is more than enough talent in their squad to put together an underdog run deep into the knockout rounds.
It remains to be seen whether Michniewicz, a former Polish Under-21 coach and Ekstraklasa champion, has the answers.
Stars
Lewandowski, Poland’s captain, all-time top scorer and most-capped player, has never scored at a World Cup. Qatar will likely be his final chance, and he’ll be desperate to right the wrongs of past tournaments.
Lewandowski has begun life at Barcelona in searing form but, as evidenced by past tournaments, he can’t do it alone for Poland. Napoli’s Piotr Zielinski will be a critical creative link, as could MLS star Kamil Jozwiak, if he makes the final 26-man squad.
Strengths
The Poles’ backbone in the form of veteran midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak will be a strong base from which to build, with Leeds United’s Mateusz Klich an experienced, reliable option in the middle.
Juventus No. 1 Wojciech Szczesny is still a force between the sticks, while Aston Villa’s Matty Cash will provide a boost to the backline assuming he is back from injury, after impressing in the UEFA Nations League.
Weaknesses
The link between Poland’s creatives and Lewandowski has been their undoing throughout the great goalscorer’s international career. Przemyslaw Frankowski, Piotr Zielinski and Nicola Zalewski must find a way of supplying their captain.
Poland World Cup group
Excluding any major shocks from Saudi Arabia, the tournament’s lowest-ranked nation bar one, Mexico and Argentina will be Poland’s big rivals for progression from Group C.
That sets up the opener against Mexico as a nail-biter. Both teams will be desperate to get ahead before facing the formidable Lionel Messi and his cavalry of Argentinian superstars.
Poland Group C fixtures and match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Tues, Nov. 22 | Mexico vs. Poland | 11 a.m. | Stadium 974 |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | Poland vs. S. Arabia | 8 a.m. | Education City Stadium |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | Poland vs. Argentina | 2 p.m. | Stadium 974 |
Can Poland replace players on World Cup roster?
Once the final 26-man roster is official, participating teams at the World Cup can only make changes before the first game of the tournament, and only in the case of extraordinary circumstances.
According to the official tournament rules, “a player listed on the final list may only be replaced in the event of serious injury or illness up until 24 hours before the start of his team’s first match.”
The team in question would need to submit a medical report to FIFA and if the world governing body determines “the injury or illness is sufficiently serious to prevent the player from taking part in the FIFA World Cup” then the replacement will be allowed.
The replacement player must come from the preliminary list of players submitted to FIFA in October.
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