Finland vs Poland

High-flying Poland head to the Helsinki Olympic Stadium to meet Finland in a handsomely-looking 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier. 

Finland failed to defy the odds in a 2-0 defeat in the Netherlands last weekend, relinquishing their unbeaten start to Group G (W1, D1). Though their mixed start to this qualifying campaign looks positive, a 2-0 home win against perennial whipping boys Malta remains their only victory from their last 11 games (D2, L8). Another win seems unlikely, considering they’ve only won three of their 31 historical meetings with upcoming rivals Poland (D8, L20). Therefore, they must rewrite their history books to boost their chances of reaching their first-ever World Cup finals. However, four consecutive defeats in matches held in Helsinki cannot inspire much confidence. Neither can the fact they have only kept one clean sheet in their last 14 games!

Meanwhile, Poland’s resurgence after suffering a disappointing elimination from the UEFA Nations League A continued with a comfortable 2-0 friendly win over Moldova last week. Taking the road for the first time in this qualifying campaign, Poland will be out to preserve their 100% record in Group G after beating Malta and Lithuania at home via an aggregate score of 3-0. Victory is imperative for the Poles as they face the Netherlands in the next round, and they can draw heart from winning their last three World Cup qualifiers away from home. Furthermore, they’ve demolished Finland in back-to-back H2Hs, netting ten goals while conceding just one in return.