Poland vs. Albania Match Lineup Reveals Surprise Selection
The first leg of a World Cup play-off semi-final takes place in Warsaw on Thursday evening. Kick-off at Stadion Narodowy is set for 26.03.2026 at 20:45. Poland hosts Albania in a single-elimination fixture.
Match context
Poland finished second in their qualifying group behind the Netherlands. They did not lose to the Dutch during qualifying. Poland also suffered a defeat to Finland during the campaign. Finland ended third, seven points behind Poland.
Albania finished behind England in their group. England won all of their qualifying matches. Albania secured a crucial 1-0 win over Serbia in Leskovac on 11 October to reach the play-offs.
Poland lineup and key notes
Poland’s starting goalkeeper will be Kamil Grabara. He takes the place of the injured Łukasz Skorupski.
Robert Lewandowski will captain the side. The starting XI includes Tomasz Kędziora, Jan Bednarek, Jakub Kiwior, Matty Cash, Sebastian Szymański, Piotr Zieliński, Michał Skóraś, Jakub Kamiński, Filip Rózga and Lewandowski.
Oskar Pietuszewski is named on the bench. He could make his international debut. Filmogaz.com notes the inclusion of Filip Rózga as a surprise selection.
| Poland Starting XI |
|---|
| Kamil Grabara (GK) |
| Tomasz Kędziora |
| Jan Bednarek |
| Jakub Kiwior |
| Matty Cash |
| Sebastian Szymański |
| Piotr Zieliński |
| Michał Skóraś |
| Jakub Kamiński |
| Filip Rózga |
| Robert Lewandowski (c) |
Albania lineup
Albania named Thomas Strakosha as goalkeeper. The back four will be Elseid Hysaj, Arlind Ajeti, Berat Djimsiti and Mario Mitaj.
The midfield includes Kristjan Asllani, Qazim Laci, Juljan Shehu and Nedim Bajrami. Up front Albania will deploy Myrto Uzuni and Arber Hoxha.
| Albania Starting XI |
|---|
| Thomas Strakosha (GK) |
| Elseid Hysaj |
| Arlind Ajeti |
| Berat Djimsiti |
| Mario Mitaj |
| Kristjan Asllani |
| Qazim Laci |
| Juljan Shehu |
| Nedim Bajrami |
| Myrto Uzuni |
| Arber Hoxha |
What to watch
The match will test Poland’s home strength and Albania’s resilience. Expect a tight tactical battle and intense duels.
Coverage on Filmogaz.com highlights the Poland vs Albania match lineup. The surprise selection of Filip Rózga adds extra intrigue to the tie.
