Robert Lewandowski has declared he will not represent Poland whilst Michal Probierz remains as national team coach, following the decision to strip him of the captaincy on Sunday.
The Barcelona striker, who holds Poland's all-time scoring record with 85 goals in 158 appearances, made the announcement via social media shortly after the Polish Football Federation revealed that Inter Milan midfielder Piotr Zielinski had been appointed as the new captain.
"Considering the circumstances and the loss of trust in the Polish national team coach, I have decided to step back from playing for the Polish national team as long as he remains the coach," Lewandowski said.
The 36-year-old striker has been Poland's captain since 2014 and stands as arguably the nation's greatest ever player, having made his international debut in 2008.
Robert Lewandowski has spectacularly quit the Polish national team
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His extraordinary international career includes appearances at two World Cups and five European Championships.
Lewandowski had withdrawn from the current international window, citing physical and mental exhaustion following a demanding season with Barcelona.
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"Returning from injury, I told coach Probierz that I did not feel good physically, but especially mentally," Lewandowski told Polish media earlier this week.
The striker scored 42 goals in 52 games for Barcelona in 2024-25, though injuries forced him to miss crucial matches including the Copa del Rey final.
The Polish Football Federation announced the captaincy change in a statement on Sunday, confirming that "Piotr Zielinski has become the new captain of the Polish national team."
The federation stated that "the coach personally informed Robert Lewandowski, the entire team and the training staff of his decision."
Lewandowski's response was immediate and unequivocal.
Beyond his statement about stepping back from international duty, he added: "I hope I will have the chance to play again for the best fans in the world."
It comes amid reports in Poland that even his team-mates had lost their patience with Lewandowski and his 'swagger'.
Further reports revealed that after a laboured win over Malta in March, the striker 'stormed into the locker room' and confronted both players and coaches.
The timing of the announcement came after Poland's 2-0 friendly victory over Moldova on Friday, with the team set to face Finland in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.
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Robert Lewandowski's team-mates are said to have lost their patience with him too
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Probierz took charge of Poland in September 2023, stepping up from the Under-21s to replace Fernando Santos.
The 52-year-old guided Poland to Euro 2024, but the team became the first to be eliminated after finishing bottom of their group without a victory.
Despite the disappointing European Championship campaign, Poland currently lead their World Cup 2026 qualifying group after securing two wins from their opening fixtures.
The Polish Football Federation confirmed that Probierz will address questions about the situation at a press conference on Monday, with new captain Zielinski also expected to speak before Tuesday's qualifier against Finland.
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