Lewandowski is hinting at an international retirement after Poland failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup

Robert Lewandowski indicated he may have played his last game for Poland after narrowly missing out on a World Cup spot.

After Viktor Gyokeres’ 88th-minute goal gave Sweden a 3-2 win over Poland in the play-off final, Lewandowski posted a photo on Instagram He showed himself holding up his captain’s armband as the song «Time to Say Goodbye» played.

The Barcelona forward has not immediately confirmed that he will not play for Poland again, and there have been previous occasions when it appeared he would retire from international football.

At 37, he would have been one of the oldest players at the tournament had Poland qualified. After the 2022 World Cup, he chose to stay on, despite what seemed like a farewell to the fans at the time.

Lewandowski also threatened to leave the national team last year, in a conflict with the team’s then national coach, who eventually resigned. Lewandowski returned as captain in August under a new coach.

Lewandowski has made a record 165 appearances for Poland, starting with a goal on his debut against San Marino in 2008, when he was 20. His 89 goals are almost twice as many as any other Polish player, but he has only qualified for the World Cup twice, with his best result being reaching the round of 16 in 2022.

Poland’s next scheduled matches are in the Nations League in September.

Lewandowski’s future at club level is also uncertain. His contract expires at the end of the season with Barcelona, ​​where he has scored 16 goals in 37 games in all competitions this season.

Published on April 1, 2026