Individually, Grzegorz Lato won the Golden Shoe at the 1974 FIFA World Cup having scored seven goals.

At the UEFA European Championship, Poland's best result was a quarter-final appearance at the 2016 tournament before losing to eventual champions Portugal.

[7] Other source mentions Dr. Edmund Cenar as the one to bring the first ball and the one to translate The Cambridge Rules and parts of the International Football Association Board regulations to Polish language.

Despite being discouraged by many educational societies and the state authorities, the new sport gained extreme popularity among pupils of various gymnasiums in Galicia.

It is uncertain which of the clubs was created first as they were initially poorly organised; however, the Czarni Lwów are usually credited as being the first Polish professional football team.

That summer the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show set up camp at Kraków's Błonia, right outside of the traditional playground area and Jordan's garden.

On 5 August 1906 the team of the Kraków-based Jan Sobieski Gymnasium played a match against the British and American members of Buffalo Bill's troupe, winning 1–0.

After the outbreak of World War I, most of the Galician football players, many of them members of either Strzelec or Sokół, joined Piłsudski's Polish Legions.

After World War I, members of PFU established the Polish Football Federation (Polski Związek Piłki Nożnej) in Warsaw on 20 December 1919.

Three of them were killed in Auschwitz: Marian Einbacher, Adam Knioła (both Warta Poznań) and Antoni Łyko (Wisła Kraków).

Stefan Fryc (Cracovia) and Bronisław Makowski (Wisła Kraków), who were both active in the resistance, were killed in mass shootings.

[19] On 11 June 1946, following the aftermath of World War II, Poland played their first international friendly match, a 3–1 defeat against Norway in Oslo.

Lubański became the all-time top scorer for Poland while playing from 1963 to 1980, scoring 48 goals in 75 appearances, a record which stood for 37 years.

[33][34] In the final group game, they lost 0–3 to England, but Poland still advanced into the knockout stage as a result of Morocco winning 3–1 over Portugal.

[37] After the "Golden Era" from the 1970s and 1980s, Poland suffered a severe drought in international football; they did not qualify for three consecutive editions of the FIFA World Cup, from 1990 to 1998.

[80] Poland then played the United States in the final group game on 14 June, winning 3–1; however, the U.S. advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Mexico in the round of 16.

[92][93] In Euro 2008 qualifying, Poland were drawn into a group with Portugal, Serbia, Finland, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

[111] In the second game, Poland drew 1–1 with Austria, taking the lead through Brazil-born Roger Guerreiro, before conceding in the third minute of stoppage time following a controversial penalty.

[114] In 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Poland were drawn in a group with Slovakia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Northern Ireland and San Marino.

Poland and Ukraine's bid became the third successful joint-bid made to host the UEFA European Championship, after the Netherlands and Belgium in 2000, and Austria and Switzerland in 2008.

[127] Poland was drawn in Group H of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying, with England, Ukraine, Montenegro, Moldova and San Marino.

[142][143][144] In UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying, Poland were drawn in Group D, with Germany, Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, Georgia and Gibraltar.

Poland took the lead through a goal from Błaszczykowski, but conceded a bicycle kick from Xherdan Shaqiri in the 82nd minute, finishing the game 1–1 in regular time.

[157] In 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Poland were drawn in Group E, with Denmark, Montenegro, Romania, Armenia and Kazakhstan.

[178] Later, Poland made a trip to Bosnia; the Bosnian team, including Edin Džeko, had held Italy 1–1 draw away before.

Poland was scheduled to face Russia in Moscow on 24 March 2022 in the semi-final of a four-team playoff bracket that also included Sweden and the Czech Republic.

Szczęsny became the third keeper ever to stop two penalties in a single World Cup,[192] with the others being Brad Friedel in 2002 for the United States and Jan Tomaszewski in 1974, also for Poland.

[194][195] Czesław Michniewicz did not renew his contract as manager and his place was taken by award-winning coach Fernando Santos to take on the mission of qualifying for Euro 2024.

[197] In September 2023, Fernando Santos was replaced by Michał Probierz, who started with a win against the Faroe Islands in Euro 2024 qualifying, but then drew with Moldova.

Champions    Runners-up    Third place     Tournament played fully or partially on home soil Statistics updated as of 18 November 2024.