The Polish national team drew 1-1 with the Netherlands today in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. After Friday's matches, it's already certain that the"White and Reds" will face a playoff to qualify for the World Cup. A match between Finland and Malta was also scheduled for today, kicking off at 6:00 PM. Ultimately, Malta surprisingly won 1-0, which didn't significantly impact the standings, though it guaranteed Poland a spot in the playoffs.
The"Polish group" table after the Poland vs. Netherlands match. Where do the Poles stand?
The hosts were the favorites in the Finland-Malta match. In the first meeting between these teams, the"Puchaczowie" won 1-0 away. However, the Maltese took revenge and triumphed 1-0 in Helsinki, although the scoreless draw lasted until the 82nd minute. Jake Grech scored the goal that secured Malta's historic first victory over Finland, after a pass from Ylyas Chouaref.
Malta thus moved from last to fourth place in the table, overtaking Lithuania. With this defeat, the Finns lost their chance of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup play-offs, securing them for the Polish national team.
Next, the Polish and Dutch national teams took to the pitch at the PGE National Stadium in Warsaw. The stakes of this match, from the"White and Reds'" perspective, were to maintain a realistic chance of first place in the group. Victory was the condition. Unfortunately, Jan Urban's players failed to achieve this. Despite this, a 1-1 draw, after a truly excellent performance, can be considered a good result. Both teams earned a point each after this clash, and it became clear that the"Oranje" already had direct qualification for the World Cup (although there is still a mathematical chance for Poland, but it is close to zero), while the Poles will have to fight for it in the play-offs.
2026 World Cup Qualifying Group G Table:
- Netherlands 7th, 5th, 2nd, 0p, goal difference 23:4, 17 pts
- Poland 7th, 4th, 2nd, 1p, goal difference 11:5, 14 pts
- Finland 8th, 3rd, 1st, 4p, goal difference 8:14, 10 pts
- Malta 7th, 1st, 2nd, 4p, goal difference: 2:16, 5 pts
- Lithuania 7th, 0th, 3rd, 4p, goal difference 6:11, 3 pts
In the final group match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Poland will face Malta away. The match will take place on Monday, November 17th at 8:45 PM. Live coverage and results will be available on Interia Sport.
Jan UrbanWojtek RadwańskiAFP
Robert Lewandowski in the colors of the Polish national teamMarek Antoni IwanczukAFP
