Lewandowski Scores Late to Seal Victory for Poland in World Cup Qualifiers Against Lithuania

Robert Lewandowski’s late goal ensured Poland kicked off their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with a lacklustre 1-0 victory over Lithuania, putting an end to a run of five matches without a win.

The arrival of a Lithuania side ranked 142nd in the world presented an ideal chance for the home team to recover from a tough 2024, which saw them exit the Euros at the group stage and face relegation from League A in the UEFA Nations League.

Lewandowski had an early attempt that was comfortably saved by Edvinas Gertmonas, and the Lithuania keeper was forced to intervene again to deny Przemysław Frankowski from close range.

As expected, Michał Probierz’s squad dominated the match and continued to carve out chances through Jakub Piotrowski and Frankowski, yet their Baltic counterparts remained resolute in defence.

Conversely, Łukasz Skorupski largely observed from the goal for Poland, although he did make a straightforward save to stop a shot from Gvidas Gineitis.

The theme of poor finishing continued for Poland after half-time, as Piotrowski swung at a loose ball in the box following a corner taken by Sebastian Szymański, only for the effort to soar harmlessly over the bar.

As frustration mounted within the stadium, Edgaras Jankauskas’ team worked diligently to maintain their stalemate and secure a point from Warsaw. Gertmonas was performing admirably in goal for Lithuania, effectively parrying a deflected shot from Matty Cash.

Probierz sought to make changes, bringing on Jakub Kamiński and Krzysztof Piątek, with the latter nearly making an immediate impact as his long-range effort just skimmed over the bar.

Lithuania nearly delivered a sucker punch when Giedrius Matulevičius crept into the box, only to have his shot saved by Skorupski.

Yet, just as Poland appeared to be heading towards a dull and disappointing draw, a familiar face saved the day.

Record scorer Lewandowski was set up by Kamiński and, benefiting from a stroke of luck, saw his shot take a significant deflection off Artemijus Tutyškinas before evading Gertmonas.

While it felt somewhat unjust for the visitors, it was a goal that Probierz’s side had earned based on their overall performance.

Ultimately, it secured three hard-fought points for the Biało-Czerwoni, though the match is unlikely to be remembered fondly by the home crowd.

Meanwhile, this result continues to highlight Lithuania’s struggles in World Cup qualifying, as they have now won only two of their last 19 qualifiers.

For a summary of the match, click here