After Poland narrowly failed to beat Sweden in the play-off final, Robert Lewandowski’s era now seems to be coming to an end. The striker has now hinted at this himself.
An Instagram post by Robert Lewandowski after the 2:3 in the play-off clash with Sweden suggests that the striker will end his career with the national team. The 37-year-old posted a picture of himself accompanied by the song “Time To Say Goodbye” by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli. The former striker also posted a picture of himself waving sadly to the audience with the captain’s armband in his hand and tears in his eyes. The national media reacted with alarm: “This is the end of his international career,” wrote sport.pl, and the post was picked up everywhere and discussed controversially.
However, when asked about the picture, Lewandowski himself has not yet confirmed that he will definitely no longer play for Poland. This is not an announcement of his decision, but a “message to the fans who believed in us”. It is “just as difficult for them as it is for us”. At the moment, he doesn’t know what will happen next for him. “I have to take my time and think about it instead of making statements right now.”
Record holder Lewandowski
Lewandowski made his debut for Poland’s national team in 2008. Since then, he has played 165 international matches in which he has scored 89 goals – in both statistics he is the record holder for his home country. Last June, the star striker initially resigned from the national team following a conflict with then national team coach Michal Probierz. Probierz had withdrawn the captain’s armband from the attacker, but then resigned himself. The new coach Jan Urban brought Lewandowski back as captain – but even that was not enough to qualify for the World Cup.
Will he stay at Barcelona in the summer?
A decision on his future is also imminent at club level. According to Marca, FC Barcelona have offered the striker a one-year extension to his contract, which expires in the summer of 2026 – albeit at a significantly reduced salary. The 37-year-old wants to decide between April and May whether he will enter his fifth year with the Catalans or follow a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia or the MLS. According to president Joan Laporta, the Pole has already received such offers.