Poland and Albania are set to clash at the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw for a place in the playoff final of 2026 World Cup qualifying.
The winner of this one-off tie will face either Ukraine or Sweden for a place at this summer’s tournament next Tuesday.
Poland’s World Cup Ambitions
Poland are aiming to qualify for the World Cup for the 10th time in their history. They competed in the 2018 and 2022 editions, reaching the last 16 in the latter.
The Eagles won five times and drew 1-1 both home and away against the Netherlands, who won Group G by three points.
Jan Urban is yet to lose as Poland head coach since his appointment in July last year, winning four and drawing two of his six games in charge, including a 3-2 away victory over Malta in their final qualifier in mid-November.
Ranked 34th in the world by FIFA, Poland have won five and drawn one of their last six home matches in all competitions, keeping four clean sheets.
The Eagles also boast an impressive record against Albania, having won 10, drawn three and lost just two of their previous 15 meetings. They have won each of their last five in World Cup qualifying by an aggregate score of 9-2.
Albania’s Quest for a First World Cup
Albania have qualified for two of the last three European Championships, but they have never competed at the World Cup as an independent nation, finishing no higher than third in UEFA qualifying before securing second spot behind England this time around.
The Red and Blacks suffered a 2-0 home defeat to England in their final group fixture in November last year. Three consecutive 1-0 victories against Latvia, Serbia and Andorra prior to that result helped them to seal a playoff place.
Ranked 63rd in the world by FIFA, Albania have only suffered defeat in one of their last five international games on foreign soil. They will attempt to win a fourth away game in a row without conceding a goal when they make the trip to Poland.
Sylvinho’s men ended an 11-game winless run against Poland when they claimed a 2-0 victory in Euro 2024 qualifying almost three years ago. Albania have never won back-to-back matches against the Eagles, with their only other triumph coming in November 1953 (2-0 friendly home win).
Team News
Poland will be without Nicola Zalewski, who is suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
A surprise inclusion in Urban’s squad is 17-year-old Porto starlet Oskar Pietushevski, who is available.
Looking Ahead
Poland are looking to qualify for the World Cup for the 10th time in their history and for the third successive tournament after competing in the 2018 and 2022 editions in Russia and Qatar respectively, reaching the last 16 in the latter.