Poland vs Albania – News and Probable Lineups

Poland and Albania will face off at the Stadion Narodowy in Warsaw on Thursday night, competing for a spot in the playoff final for World Cup 2026 qualifying.

The winner of this single-elimination match will take on either Ukraine or Sweden away from home next Tuesday for a chance to participate in the tournament this summer.

Match overview

Poland aims to secure its World Cup qualification for the 10th time in history and for the third consecutive tournament, having participated in the 2018 and 2022 editions in Russia and Qatar, respectively, reaching the Round of 16 in the latter event.

The Eagles were unfortunate not to qualify directly for the 2026 tournament, having won five matches and drawn 1-1 in both legs against the Netherlands, who topped Group G by three points.

Since his appointment as head coach in July last year, Jan Urban has not faced defeat, achieving four victories and two draws in six matches, including a notable 3-2 away win against European outsiders Malta in their last qualifier in mid-November.

Ranked 34th in FIFA’s world rankings, Poland comes into this fixture having won five and drawn one of their last six home fixtures across all competitions, managing to keep four clean sheets in that span.

Moreover, the Eagles hold an impressive record against Albania, winning 10, drawing three, and losing only two of their last 15 encounters, clinching victory in each of their last five World Cup qualifying matches by an aggregate score of 9-2.

Albania has qualified for two out of the last three European Championships, but has never participated in the World Cup as an independent nation, finishing no higher than third in UEFA qualifying before securing second place behind England in Group K during this campaign.

The Red and Blacks endured a 2-0 defeat at home to the Three Lions in their last group game in November last year, but three consecutive 1-0 wins against Latvia, Serbia, and Andorra prior to that result helped them secure a playoff position.

Ranked 63rd globally by FIFA, Albania has only faced defeat in one of their last five international matches away from home and will seek to achieve a fourth consecutive away victory without conceding when they travel to Poland on Thursday.

Sylvinho’s team broke an 11-match winless streak against Poland (D2 L9) with a 2-0 win in Euro 2024 qualifying almost three years ago. Albania has never recorded back-to-back victories against the Eagles, with their sole other win occurring in a friendly match back in November 1953 (2-0 at home).

Team News

Poland will be without Atalanta BC winger Nicola Zalewski, who is suspended due to yellow card accumulation.

A surprising inclusion in Urban’s squad is 17-year-old Porto prodigy Oskar Pietushexi, who could make his senior debut but is not anticipated to start on Thursday.

Robert Lewandowski, who is 20 years older than Pietushexi, is expected to lead the attack. The Barcelona forward has netted a record 88 goals for his country and may be supported in the final third by Jakub Kaminski and Sebastian Szymanski.

As for Albania, Myrto Uzuni, Nazmi Gripshi, and Ylber Ramadani should all be available despite joining the senior camp on Monday, with Ramadani recently becoming a father for the third time.

Injury-plagued Armando Broja has been included in Sylvinho’s squad; however, the Burnley striker faces competition for a starting role from Uzuni, who can also play out wide.

Kristjan Asllani and Qazim Laci are strong candidates to feature in midfield, potentially alongside Ramadani, while the 96-cap Elseid Hysaj could play on the right side of a back four with Berat Djimsiti, Ardian Ismajli, and Mario Mitaj.

Poland probable starting XI:

Grabara; Kedziora, Ziolkowski, Kiwior; Cash, Slisz, Zielinski, Skoras; Szymanski, Kaminski; Lewandowski

Albania probable starting XI:

Strakosha; Hysaj, Ismajli, Djimsiti, Mitaj; Asllani, Laci, Ramadani; Asani, Broja, Uzuni

No more than two goals have been scored in 12 of Albania’s last 15 competitive international fixtures, and Sylvinho’s side is likely to engage in another tightly contested match against Poland on Thursday.

This encounter might require extra time, but we anticipate the Lewandowski-led hosts finding a way to secure their place in the playoff final.