“18 years on”: Lewandowski and Pietuszewski bridge generations for Poland | OneFootball

Robert Lewandowski was decisive once again for Poland and experienced a symbolic moment alongside Oskar Pietuszewski, the young FC Porto winger.

In Poland’s 2-1 win over Albania in the semi-final of the 2026 World Cup qualifying play-off, Lewandowski scored the equaliser in the second half before celebrating on the pitch with Pietuszewski, who made his senior national team debut.

The image carries even more meaning because of the generational contrast. When Lewandowski made his debut for the Poland national team, on 10 September 2008 against San Marino, Pietuszewski was only four months old. Almost 18 years later, the two shared the pitch and celebrated together an important goal that kept the team in the fight for qualification.

Pietuszewski, born on 20 May 2008, thus earned his first senior cap at just 17 years old. The young attacker, who plays for FC Porto, now joins Lewandowski in a national team that continues to rely on the striker’s experience in decisive moments.

Lewandowski’s competitive longevity is once again on display. The Polish captain remains a direct influence on the team’s performances and continues to score at a stage when he is already sharing the dressing room with players from a generation far younger than the one from his international debut.

With this result, Poland move on in the play-off and keep alive their objective of reaching the 2026 World Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.