Poland beat Belgium on penalties to stay alive in World Cup playoffs
Key takeaways
- Poland beat Belgium 4-3 on penalties after a 3-2 win in extra time.
- Ewa Pajor scored twice, including the winner in the 116th minute.
- Poland face Ireland next for a place at the 2027 World Cup.
Poland are still alive in the World Cup race. They beat Belgium 4-3 on penalties in Gdansk. The second leg ended 3-2 to Poland after extra time.
The tie ended 3-3 on aggregate.
Poland lost the first leg 1-0 in Belgium. They needed a big night at home. They got one.
Ewa Pajor scored twice. Paulina Tomasiak scored once. Then Poland held their nerve in the shootout.
What happened
Belgium led the tie from Friday. Elena Dhont scored the only goal of the first leg in first-half stoppage time. Both teams missed a penalty in that game.
Tessa Wullaert missed for Belgium. Pajor missed for Poland. Belgium took a 1-0 lead to Gdansk.
Poland started fast at home. Pajor headed Poland ahead in the 42nd minute. The home crowd roared.
Poland led 1-0 at half time. The tie was level at 1-1 on aggregate.
Belgium hit back fast after the break. Amy Littel came on at half time. She scored in the 51st minute.
Wullaert set up the goal. Belgium led the tie again. The score was 1-1 on the night.
Poland answered in the 67th minute. Tomasiak scored to make it 2-1. Poland led on the night. But the tie was still level at 2-2 on aggregate.
The game went to extra time.
Extra time brought more drama. Jarne Teulings headed Belgium level in the 105th minute. The score was 2-2 on the night.
Belgium led the tie 3-2 on aggregate. Poland needed one more goal.
Pajor gave it to them. She scored in the 116th minute. The score was 3-2 on the night.
The tie was level at 3-3 on aggregate. No more goals came. The game went to penalties.
The shootout was tight. Both teams missed one kick. Poland scored four of their five kicks.
Belgium scored three. Poland won the shootout 4-3. The comeback was complete.
Why it matters
This win keeps Poland's World Cup dream alive. Poland have never played at a Women's World Cup. UEFA notes that fact in its play-off guide.
Poland have played at the Women's EURO. They have never reached the World Cup. This run can change that.
The win also ends a bad run. Poland had lost six games in a row before this tie. The first-leg loss in Belgium extended that run.
The home win in Gdansk broke it at the best time.
Pajor was the star. She missed a penalty in the first leg. She answered with two goals in the second leg.
Her header opened the scoring. Her late goal forced the shootout. Great players answer setbacks.
Pajor did just that.
The tie also showed the fine margins of playoff football. Belgium led twice across the two legs. Poland kept coming back.
A disallowed goal, a late header, and a shootout miss each changed the story. One kick in the shootout split the teams.
For Belgium, the loss is a hard blow. The Red Flames held a lead from the first leg. They scored in Gdansk.
They led the tie in extra time. But they could not hold on. Their World Cup dream ends here.
What happens next
Poland move on to Round 2 of the playoffs. They face the Republic of Ireland. Ireland won their first leg 8-0 against Kazakhstan.
The Round 2 ties run from November 26 to December 5, 2026. The exact dates are still to be confirmed.
The prize is huge. Seven of the eight Round 2 winners will reach the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. The last winner will go to the inter-confederation playoffs in February 2027. Poland are one step from the finals.
They must win one more tie.
The World Cup runs from June 24 to July 25, 2027. Brazil hosts the event. Denmark, France, Germany, and Spain have already qualified from Europe. Europe has 11 places in total.
Seven more come through these playoffs. One more comes through the inter-confederation playoffs.
Poland will take belief from this night. They beat a strong team from behind. They won a shootout under pressure.
They scored three times in one game. That is a base to build on.
Other playoff ties were also played on Tuesday night. England hosted Greece in Leicester. The winners of each tie move to Round 2. The full Round 2 draw is set.
Poland know their path. Ireland stand in their way.
Fans can follow midweek football dates in our Champions League matchday 2 schedule hub. For more big European games this week, see our Barcelona vs Galatasaray preview.
Poland's players will rest, then prepare for Ireland. The next tie is a two-legged test. The first leg comes in late November.
Poland will want a fast start. They will want to carry this Gdansk spirit with them. One more win takes them to Brazil.
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