Poland Eyes National Stadium for World Cup Play-off Semi-Final, Potential Favorable Draw Emerges
Warsaw – Polish Football Association (PZPN) President Cezary Kulesza has indicated a strong preference for hosting the World Cup play-off semi-final at the National Stadium in Warsaw, citing overwhelming fan interest. “Nothing has been confirmed for today, but we are leaning towards the National. It’s the largest stadium and the interest is huge,” Kulesza stated in an interview with Interia Sport.He noted that ticket demand following the match against the Netherlands was exceptionally high, potentially exceeding stadium capacity.
A final decision on the venue will be made once Poland’s opponent is steadfast. Kulesza emphasized the importance of home-field advantage, stating, “We really want to play the semi-final at home because of the support fans carries the players. But it’s hard for me to say who we want to play and who we don’t want to play. We want to play with someone we can beat, but we don’t no that before the match.”
Recent results – a 1-0 pleasant win against New Zealand and a 2-0 victory over Lithuania in World cup qualifying – are projected to lift Poland in the FIFA rankings. This advancement is highly likely to see Poland overtake wales, currently holding 1,519 points, with Poland now at 1,524 points.
This shift moves Poland into the top seeding bracket for the November play-off draw, potentially avoiding a challenging match-up against Italy, Türkiye, and Ukraine. Predicted play-off baskets, as analyzed by Sport.pl journalist Kacper Sosnowski,are as follows:
Basket 1: Italy,Türkiye,Ukraine,Poland
Basket 2: Wales,Scotland,Hungary,Czech Republic
Basket 3: Slovakia,Albania,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Kosovo
Basket 4: Romania,Sweden,North Macedonia,Northern Ireland
