Poland continued their strong start to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers with a 2-0 victory over Malta on Monday night, securing their second consecutive win in Group G.
Striker Karol Świderski was the hero of the match, netting both goals for the home side at the National Stadium in Warsaw.
He opened the scoring in the 27th minute, capitalizing on Malta’s defensive lapses, and struck again in the 51st minute after a well-orchestrated setup from defender Jakub Moder.
A crowd of 45,872 spectators witnessed Poland’s dominant display, according to reports from state news agency PAP. The Polish team, ranked 35th in the world by FIFA, proved too strong for 168th-ranked Malta.
Up next, Poland will travel to Helsinki for their next qualifying match against Finland on June 10.
They kicked off their campaign last Friday with a narrow 1-0 win over Lithuania.
Group G also features a formidable opponent in the Netherlands, adding to the challenge as Poland aims to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup.
The expanded tournament, set to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, will feature 48 teams—16 more than the previous edition in Qatar.
Poland’s recent World Cup history includes reaching the last 16 in 2022 before falling to France, the eventual runners-up.
In 2018, they failed to progress beyond the group stage, suffering defeats to Senegal (1-2) and Colombia (0-3) before salvaging a 1-0 win over Japan.
Historically, Poland’s best World Cup performances came in 1974 and 1982, when they finished in third place.
