Robert Lewandowski has announced he will not play for the Poland national team as long as Michal Probierz remains head coach.
The 36-year-old Barcelona striker confirmed his decision on social media following his withdrawal from the current international break.
He had previously attributed his absence to physical and mental fatigue after a long club season, but has now revealed deeper tensions with the management as his reason.
“Taking into account the circumstances and a loss of trust in the coach, I have decided to resign from playing for the Poland national team for as long as he remains in charge,” Lewandowski posted.
“I hope I will still have the chance to play again for the best fans in the world.”
Lewandowskiβs absence prompted Probierz to strip him of the captaincy, handing the armband to Inter midfielder Piotr Zielinski. That decision appears to have sealed the veteran forwardβs temporary departure.
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π¨ OFFICIAL: Robert Lewandowski announces that he will not play for Poland again as long as the Poland coach MichaΕ Probierz is in charge. pic.twitter.com/GV3Qzc00V5
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 8, 2025
Earlier in the week, Lewandowski explained that while recovering from a hamstring injury that sidelined him for key matches, including the Champions League semi-final and Copa del Rey final, he informed Probierz that he was unfit to compete physically or mentally.
Though he returned to action for Barcelonaβs final three league games, scoring twice as they sealed the LaLiga crownm, he opted out of Polandβs friendly against Moldova and an upcoming World Cup qualifier against Finland.
Lewandowskiβs absence marks a major moment for Polish football. With 158 caps and 85 goals, he is the countryβs all-time top scorer and most-capped player, and remains their most iconic figure in recent decades.
Poland, meanwhile, have made a solid start to World Cup qualifying, winning their first two matches in Group G. Probierz, who took over in 2023 after a brief and successful stint with Poland’s Under-21 side, led the team to Euro 2024 but failed to progress from the group stage.
