All-Time Poland National Team Best XI (Lewandowski, Boniek, Deyna)

All-time Poland best XI – Poland national team is one of football national team from Central Europe. Poland have competed at nine World Cup edition since first qualified in 1938. Their greatest period is in 70s and early 80s when they twice finish in third-place at the FIFA World Cup.

Poland best achievement in international football is finish in third-place in 1974 and 1982 FIFA World Cup. At the UEFA Euro, their best-ever result is reaching quarter final in 2016 edition. Poland also winning gold medal at the 1972 Olympics.

They achieve their greatest success in 70s and early 80s. Poland shook the world and finish in third-place in 1974 edition. Grzegorz Lato become the tournament top scorers while Kazimierz Deyna voted as third-best player of the tournament. Other players like Jan Tomaszewski, Wladyzlaw Zmuda, Jerzy Gorgon and Henryk Kasperczak also become Poland key player.

Poland manage to finish in third-place in 1982 World Cup edition. Players like Zmuda and Lato still remain, while other key players like Jozef Mlynarczyk, Pawel Janas, Marek Dziuba and Zbigniew Boniek also take part. Boniek, who excel at Serie A with Juventus and Roma, also finish in third-place in 1982 Ballon d’Or vote.

In modern era, Poland haven’t achieve anything special. They were co-host of the 2012 UEFA Euro edition and then manage to reach quarter-final in 2016 UEFA Euro. Robert Lewandowski clearly become star player from Poland in modern era. Other player who standout in 2000s era are Wojciech Szczesny, Kamil Glik, Lukasz Piszczek, Grzegorz Krychowiak, Piotr Zielinski, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Arkadiusz Milik.

All-Time Poland Best XI

Of course it’s hard to select 11 of best Poland players of all time in each position. Below is our selection of all-time Poland national team best XI.

GOALKEEPER

1. Jan Tomaszewski

Date of birth : 9 January 1948
Position : Goalkeeper
Caps / goals : 63 caps / 0 goal
Club career :

• 1963-1967 – Gwardia Wroclaw (Poland)
• 1967-1970 – Slask Wroclaw (Poland)
• 1970-1972 – Legia Warsaw (Poland)
• 1972-1978 – LKS Lods (Poland)
• 1978-1981 – Beerschot (Belgium)
• 1981-1982 – Hercules (Spain)
• 1982-1984 – LKS Lodz (Poland)

Major tournament participations :

• FIFA World Cup 1974, 1978

Substitutes :

• Jozef Młynarczyk (1979-1986), 42 caps
• Wojciech Szczesny (2009-current), 74 caps
• Jerzy Dudek (1998-2013), 60 caps
• Artur Boruc (2004-2017), 65 caps

DEFENDER

2. Wladyslaw Zmuda

Date of birth : 6 June 1954
Position : Center-back
Caps / goals : 91 caps / 2 goals
Club career :

• 1970-1972 – Motor Lublin (Poland)
• 1972-1974 – Gwardia Warszawa (Poland)
• 1974-1980 – Slask Wroclaw (Poland)
• 1980-1982 – Widzew Lodz (Poland)
• 1982-1984 – Hellas Verona (Italy)
• 1984 – New York Cosmos (United States)
• 1984-1987 – Cremonese (Italy)

Major tournament participations :

• FIFA World Cup 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986

3. Jerzy Gorgon

Date of birth : 18 July 1949
Position : Center-back
Caps / goals : 55 caps / 6 goals
Club career :

• 1967-1980 – Gornik Zabrze (Poland)
• 1980-1983 – St. Gallen (Switzerland)

Major tournament participations :

• FIFA World Cup 1974, 1978

4. Lukasz Piszczek

Date of birth : 3 June 1985
Position : Right-back
Caps / goals : 66 caps / 3 goals
Club career :

• 2004-2010 – Hertha BSC (Germany)
• 2004-2007 – Zaglebie Lubin (Poland), loan
• 2010-2021 – Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
• 2021-current – Goczalkowice-Zdroj (Poland)

Major tournament participations :

• FIFA World Cup 2018
• UEFA Euro 2008, 2012, 2016

5. Antoni Szymanowski

Date of birth : 13 January 1951
Position : Right-back, left-back
Caps / goals : 82 caps / 1 goal
Club career :

• 1967-1970 – Wisla Krakow (Poland)
• 1970-1972 – Gwardia Warszawa (Poland)
• 1972-1978 – Wisla Krakow (Poland)
• 1978-1981 – Gwardia Warszawa (Poland)
• 1981-1984 – Club Brugge (Belgium)

Major tournament participations :

• FIFA World Cup 1974, 1978

Substitutes :

• Kamil Glik (2010-current), 103 caps, 6 goals
• Stanisław Oslizło (1961-1971), 57 caps, 1 goal
• Paweł Janas (1976-1984), 53 caps, 1 goal
• Tomasz Wałdoch (1991-2002), 74 caps, 2 goals
• Roman Wojcicki (1978-1989), 62 caps, 2 goals
• Marek Dziuba (1977-1984), 53 caps, 1 goal
• Adam Musiał (1968-1974), 34 caps, 0 goal
• Zygmunt Anczok (1965-1973), 48 caps, 0 goal
• Michal Zewłakow (1999-2011), 102 caps, 3 goals

MIDFIELDER

6. Henryk Kasperczak

Date of birth : 10 July 1946
Position : Midfielder
Caps / goals : 61 caps / 5 goals
Club career :

• 1959-1965 – Stal Zabrze (Poland)
• 1965-1966 – Stal Mielec (Poland)
• 1966-1968 – Legia Warszawa (Poland)
• 1968-1978 – Stal Mielec (Poland)
• 1978-1979 – Metz (France)

Major tournament participations :

• FIFA World Cup 1974, 1978

7. Kazimierz Deyna

Date of birth : 23 October 1947
Position : Attacking midfielder
Caps / goals : 97 caps / 41 goals
Club career :

• 1966 – LKS Lodz (Poland)
• 1966-1978 – Legia Warsaw (Poland)
• 1978-1981 – Manchester City (England)
• 1981-1984 – San Diego Sockers (United States)

Major tournament participations :

• FIFA World Cup 1974, 1978

8. Zbigniew Boniek

Date of birth : 3 March 1956
Position : Winger, forward, attacking midfielder
Caps / goals : 80 caps / 24 goals
Club career :

• 1973-1975 – Zawisza Bydogszcz (Poland)
• 1975-1982 – Widzew Lodz (Poland)
• 1982-1985 – Juventus (Italy)
• 1985-1988 – AS Roma (Italy)

Major tournament participations :

• FIFA World Cup 1978, 1982, 1986

9. Grzegorz Lato

Date of birth : 8 April 1950
Position : Winger
Caps / goals : 100 caps / 45 goal
Club career :

• 1966-1980 – Stal Mielec (Poland)
• 1980-1982 – Lokeren (Belgium)
• 1982-1984 – Atlante (Mexico)
• 1984-1991 – Polonia Hamilton (Poland)

Major tournament participations :

• FIFA World Cup 1974, 1978, 1982

Substitutes :

• Grzegorz Krychowiak (2008-current), 98 caps, 5 goals
• Zygmunt Maszczyk (1968-1976), 36 caps, 0 goal
• Waldemar Matysik (1980-1989), 55 caps, 0 goal
• Piotr Zielinski (2013-current), 82 caps, 10 goals
• Jacek Krzynowek (1998-2009), 96 caps, 15 goals
• Zygfryd Szoltysik (1963-1972), 46 caps, 10 goals
• Jakub Blaszczykowski (2006-2023), 109 caps, 21 goals
• Kamil Grosicki (2008-current), 88 caps, 17 goals
• Miroslaw Okonski (1977-1987), 29 caps, 2 goals
• Robert Gadocha (1967-1975), 62 caps, 16 goals

FORWARD

10. Robert Lewandowski

Date of birth : 21 August 1988
Position : Striker
Caps / goals : 142 caps / 79 goals
Club career :

• 2005 – Delta Warsaw (Poland)
• 2005-2006 – Legia Warsaw II (Poland)
• 2006-2008 – Znicz Pruszkow (Poland)
• 2008-2010 – Lech Poznan (Poland)
• 2010-2014 – Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
• 2014-2022 – Bayern Munchen (Germany)
• 2022-current – Barcelona (Spain)

Major tournament participations :

• FIFA World Cup 2018, 2022
• UEFA Euro 2012, 2016, 2020

11. Wlodzimierz Lubanski

Date of birth : 28 February 1947
Position : Forward
Caps / goals : 75 caps / 48 goal
Club career :

• 1963-1975 – Gornik Zabrze (Poland)
• 1975-1982 – Lokeren (Belgium)
• 1982-1983 – Valenciennes (France)
• 1983-1985 – Stade Quimperois (France)

Major tournament participations :

• FIFA World Cup 1978

Substitutes :

• Andrzej Szarmach (1973-1982), 61 caps, 32 goals
• Ernst Wilimowski (1934-1939), 22 caps, 21 goals
• Lucjan Brychczy (1954-1969), 58 caps, 18 goals
• Ernest Pohl (1955-1965), 46 caps, 39 goals
• Gerard Cieslik (1947-1958), 45 caps, 27 goals
• Dariusz Dziekanowski (1981-1990), 62 caps, 20 goals
• Wlodzimierz Smolarek (1980-1992), 60 caps, 13 goals
• Arkadiusz Milik (2015-sekarang), 69 caps, 17 goals

Poland National Team All-Time Best XI

That’s our pick for 11 of greatest Polish players of all time in each position. What do you think? Write down your pick in comment below.