The player felt he was too physically and mentally exhausted to play Poland’s June games against Moldova and Finland
Robert Lewandowski has spoken out strongly in defence of his decision to withdraw from Poland’s June international fixtures, after facing a wave of criticism over what some perceived as neglecting his national team duties.
The 36-year-old Barcelona striker, who finished the 2024-25 season as the club’s top scorer with 42 goals across all competitions, announced last month that he would skip Poland’s friendly against Moldova and their World Cup qualifier versus Finland.
The player felt that he was too physically and mentally exhausted after a gruelling season in which he played 52 games, starting 47.
“I don’t have to explain why I made this decision,” Lewandowski told Poland’s TVP Sport during Friday’s game against Moldova, which he attended in the stands. “I told coach Probierz honestly that I wasn’t feeling well physically or mentally. I was in a slump. I felt like going to the training camp wouldn’t help me get to the level he wanted.”
The Poland captain insisted the team could cope without him, saying that the squad doesn’t revolve around a single player. But his absence has led to criticism from some media outlets and fans questioning his commitment. Lewandowski pushed back hard on that narrative.
“People don’t have all the information. They make assumptions and draw false conclusions,” he said. “No one knows how I feel, what I’m going through, or what’s best for me. At the time, I thought it would be worth letting it go for the sake of next season and the rest of the qualifying rounds [for Poland].”
Turning 37 in August, the former Bayern Munich star acknowledged that he now has limited time to play at the top level.
“I don’t have many seasons left at this level,” said Lewandowski. “I have to take care of myself if I want to keep competing in the Champions League and help Poland qualify for the World Cup.”
Lewandowski also pointed to double standards in all the discussions around his performances: “I remember not long ago I started a game on the bench and people asked, ‘Why isn’t he playing?’ Then I played a less important game, got injured, and the questions were exactly the opposite. ‘Why did he play?’
“With all due respect to the media and the experts, if I only listened to you, I would have stopped playing for this national team a long time ago. I only play for the fans. They have supported me for many years, and I do it primarily for them and my family.”
He also spoke about managing the expectations: “Carrying the expectations of 40 million people is no small burden. Sometimes I need to rest, and I’m at peace with that.”
