Polish-Born Michał Żuk shines in Spain U-17 Victory, Complicating National Team Future
Michał Żuk, a 16-year-old with Polish roots and a background in the FC Barcelona academy, delivered a standout performance for Spain’s U-17 national team in their October 11th European Championship 2026 qualifier against Latvia. Żuk, who briefly trained with Pogoń Szczecin’s academy in 2022 before returning to Spain, entered the match in the 55th minute and directly contributed to three of Spain’s subsequent four goals.
Just three minutes after his introduction, Żuk launched a long pass from his own half that set up Embrimy Tunkar for a goal. Later, with the score at 4-0, a pass intended for the young midfielder found Santiago del Pino, who added another goal for Spain. Żuk capped off his remarkable display with a goal of his own in the 86th minute.
The performance raises questions about the Polish Football Association’s efforts to secure Żuk’s allegiance, possibly facing an uphill battle to convince him to represent Poland over Spain.
Following two rounds of qualifying, Spain’s U-17 team currently leads their group with a perfect record, tied on points with Denmark but ahead on goal difference.
