Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers match.
The clash with Finland poses a significant challenge for Poland. Tensions between Tommaso Pobega and Robert Lewandowski have recently surfaced, but the squad has enjoyed a promising start to their World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign.
Finland
Since the beginning of September, Finland have lost seven of their last nine matches across all competitions. In only two of those games did they concede fewer than two goals. On Saturday, Finland were outplayed by the Netherlands, conceding twice within the first 23 minutes and finishing the match with 2.06 xGA. Outside of Joel Pohjanpalo, the Palermo FC striker, few players in the current set-up have made a notable impression, and this squad is at serious risk of finishing bottom of their qualification group.
Poland
The crisis that led to Poland’s relegation from the Nations League top tier now looks to be easing. Since the start of 2025, Poland have recorded three wins without conceding. On Friday, Poland delivered a professional 2:0 win over Moldova, even while rotating much of their first-choice line-up. With Robert Lewandowski unavailable, Tommaso Pobega is expected to choose between Adam Buksa and Karol Świderski to spearhead the attack, and this squad has shown it has the quality to progress to another major tournament.
Finland vs Poland Prediction
Since March 2016, Finland have suffered two heavy defeats to Poland, losing 0:5 and 1:5. The upcoming fixture in Helsinki could follow a similar pattern.
