The head coach of the Polish national team, Jan Urban, shared his reaction to the draw for the 2026 World Cup qualifying play-offs, which paired his team with Albania in the semi-final. If they advance to the final, the Poles will play the winner of the Ukraine vs. Sweden match.
Jan Urban«We cannot complain about the results of the draw. The draw is favorable for us, we will be the favorites in the first match, and we need to take advantage of this at home.
Being the favorites is one thing, but we have great respect for each opponent. We’ve experienced many surprises in football, not only in our own experience but also by watching other teams. We need respect for the opponent, but also self-confidence. The draw has helped us, and we return to Poland full of hope that the play-offs will turn out successfully for us.
Regarding the second semi-final in our play-off path, it’s hard to say who will advance from this pair to the final. Sweden scored only two points in the group stage of qualification, but they were confident they would advance to the play-offs through the Nations League anyway. There has also been a change of coach in this team, which can always seriously affect the team. The important thing is that we don’t know what will happen in the next four months. In football, that’s a lot. We have a transfer window coming up, and much may change. As a coach, I can only wish our players to play as much as possible and be in the best shape.
In any case, we are currently focused on the first match, not forgetting, of course, to analyze our potential opponents in the final,» quotes Urban the official website of the Polish Football Association.
