WARSAW, Poland (BN24) — Star striker Robert Lewandowski announced he will not represent Poland on the international stage as long as Michał Probierz remains head coach, citing a breakdown in trust with the current leadership.
The 36-year-old Barcelona forward, who holds the national team records for both appearances (158) and goals (85), made his decision public following his withdrawal from Poland’s recent international fixtures — a 2-0 friendly victory over Moldova and a World Cup qualifier against Finland. Lewandowski had cited fatigue from Barcelona’s La Liga title-winning campaign for missing the matches.
In his absence, head coach Michał Probierz named Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zieliński as the new captain of the national team. “Piotr Zieliński has been named the new captain of the national team by head coach Michał Probierz. The coach personally informed Robert Lewandowski, the entire team, and the coaching staff of his decision,” the Polish Football Association said in a statement.
Lewandowski responded to the announcement with a post on X, formerly Twitter: “Taking into account the circumstances and the loss of trust in the head coach of the Polish national team, I have decided to step down from playing for the national team for as long as he remains in charge. I hope I will still have the chance to play again for the best fans in the world.”
Lewandowski recently recovered from a thigh injury suffered on April 19 in a La Liga match against Celta Vigo, which sidelined him for two weeks. The injury forced him to miss four matches, including the high-scoring 3-3 Champions League semifinal first leg against Inter Milan in Barcelona. He returned as a substitute in the second leg, which Barcelona lost 4-3, allowing Inter to advance to the final.
Despite the controversy, Poland sits atop Group G in World Cup qualifying with two wins from two matches. It remains unclear whether the standoff between Lewandowski and Probierz will impact Poland’s long-term campaign.
