Poland

Famous People from Poland: Famous Polish Footballers/Soccer Players

The following Polish athletes dedicated themselves in promoting and inspiring people about football, one of the most well-loved sports in the world.

Kazimierz Deyna
A supremely-talented midfielder, Deyna was the orchestrator of the famous 1974 Poland World Cup team that beat defending champions Brazil 1-0 for third place. However, Poland’s communist government didn’t allow players under thirty to move abroad, so Deyna remained in Poland until, aged 31, he moved to Manchester City. Deyna tragically died in a car accident in 1989, but is still regarded as Poland’s most gifted footballer, and is their third highest goal scorer

Zbigniew Boniek
The yin to Michel Platini’s yang at Juventus, Boniek thrilled fans with his searing pace and rampaging runs, lifting the Cup Winners’ Cup, European Super Cup and European Cup for the “Vecchia Signora” in the process. Although not a member of the legendary 1974 national team, Boniek still played a major role in Poland’s golden era. He led his countrymen to third place in the 1982 World Cup, capping a virtuoso display against Belgium with a brilliant hat-trick.

Grzegorz Lato
The 1974 Golden Boot winner with seven goals, Lato propelled Poland to the semi-finals where they lost 1-0 to eventual winners West Germany. Scorer of the winning goal for third place against Brazil, he was considered as one of the most underrated players in World Cup history; in 20 competition appearances Lato notched 10 goals and provided 7 assists.

Wlodzimierz Lubanski
An almost mythical player with an extraordinary eye for goal, Lubanski seemed destined for greatness. Making his international debut at 16, Lubanski won gold with Poland at the 1972 summer Olympics in Munich nine years later. Unlikely to move abroad due to the government’s restrictions, his form nevertheless alerted Manchester United and Real Madrid. However, seven minutes after scoring a goal in the 1973 World Cup qualifier against England, Lubanski was taken off injured and sidelined for two years. Despite five years passing before he represented his country again, Lubanski still became Poland’s all-time highest goal scorer with 48 goals from 75 games.

Ernest Wilimowski
Born in 1916 in Silesia, a Polish-German borderland, Wilimowski adopted Polish citizenship in 1922. The first truly great footballer in Poland’s history, he became the first player to score four goals in a World Cup match during Poland’s 5-6 loss to Brazil in 1938. Following the Nazi occupation of Poland, Wilimowski re-took German citizenship which enabled him to continue playing football (Poles were not allowed to play sports) and represented the German national side. He was labelled a traitor by the post-war Polish communist government and never set foot in his homeland again.

Jerzy Dudek
Currently playing for Real Madrid, Dudek was an instrumental force in Liverpool’s amazing victory in the 2005 Champions League final against AC Milan, and helped them lift the FA Cup in 2006. Whilst at Feyenoord, he became the Dutch league’s first ever foreign winner of the Goalkeeper of the Year award for the 1998-99 season – a title he re-claimed a year later.