Lewandowski will miss the World Cup

Robert Lewandowski's hopes of leading Poland to the 2026 World Cup finals were dashed after the Polish national team lost 3-2 to Sweden in the European playoff final . The match was a thriller, with Sweden opening the scoring early through Antonín Illanga in the 20th minute, before Nikola Zalewski equalized for Poland in the 33rd minute. The joy of the equalizer was short-lived, however, as Gustav Lagerbäcke restored Sweden's lead before halftime . In the second half, Krzysztof Szwiederski leveled the score for Poland, setting up a tense finale. Viktor Gyukeris then secured the victory with a late goal in the 88th minute, sending his country to the World Cup . Despite Lewandowski's experience and leadership, he was unable to prevent Poland's painful exit, meaning he will miss what could be his final World Cup appearance, especially given his age . This result is a severe blow to Polish football, which had hoped to be present at the global event, but will miss the 2026 World Cup, along with one of its most prominent stars throughout history.