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After 109 appearances for Poland, Jakub Błaszczykowski will become the oldest outfield player to feature in the national team, breaking a 75-year-old record.
Poland’s upcoming match against Germany will mark the final appearance of Jakub Błaszczykowski in the national team. The Wisła Kraków winger, known as “Błaszczu,” will bid farewell with a remarkable achievement, surpassing a record that has stood for 75 years. Błaszczykowski already boasts 108 caps for Poland, and his 109th will make him the oldest outfield player to represent the country.
Błaszczykowski Sets a Historic Milestone
The previous record was held by Władysław Szczepaniak, a forward from Polonia Warszawa, who played for Poland in 1947 at the age of 37 years and 118 days. Błaszczykowski, at precisely 37 years and 184 days, will eclipse this milestone when he takes the field against Germany. Only Jacek Zieliński came close to achieving a similar feat in the 21st century, playing against Italy at the age of 36 years and 33 days.
While Błaszczykowski will secure his place in history, the situation differs for goalkeepers. Jerzy Dudek and Artur Boruc played their final national team matches at the ages of 40 years and 73 days, and 37 years and 263 days, respectively. However, neither of them would have surpassed Szczepaniak’s record if not for specially organized farewell matches.
Błaszczykowski’s Delayed Farewell
Jakub Błaszczykowski’s farewell comes three years after his last appearance for the national team. In contrast, Boruc and Dudek had their benefit matches organized one and two years after retiring from regular international duty, respectively.
With 40 years and 80 days passing since his debut, Błaszczykowski will also claim the top spot in the ranking of Polish players with the longest national team careers. Włodzimierz Lubański held the record, with his farewell match occurring 17 years and 20 days after his debut. However, on Friday, Błaszczykowski will surpass Lubański as his last appearance will take place 17 years and 80 days after his international debut on March 28, 2006, in a match against Saudi Arabia.