Poland’s National Stadium: From ruins to Super Cup host

The allure of football royalty Real Madrid together with exciting upstarts Atalanta is beyond dispute, but don’t expect the Warsaw crowd to be overwhelmed.

The National Stadium in Warsaw has inspired the best from Robert Lewandowski, hosted The Rolling Stones and propelled Usain Bolt. Indeed, when it comes to big events in Poland – featuring the round ball or world-famous performers simply having a ball – this is the epicentre. That trend will continue when it hosts the 2024 UEFA Super Cup clash on 14 August.

The rich history of the National Stadium

Close to the River Vistula in central Warsaw, the National Stadium is the biggest stadium in Poland, boasting a capacity of 58,000 and built for UEFA EURO 2012 (a tournament co-hosted with Ukraine).

Construction started in 2008 and finished in November 2011, but considering the ground is located on the site of the 10th-Anniversary Stadium – built in the aftermath of the Second World War – you can sense its rich history. The original arena was a fascinating structure.

“The old venue was partially built using debris from buildings demolished during World War II,” explains journalist and local guide Stefan Szczepłek. “It was built in record time, just one year, thanks to the enthusiasm of young people who did their best to rebuild Poland after the war. Regardless of the communist regime, people wanted the country to rise again.”

The 10th-Anniversary Stadium opened in 1955 and its last match was Poland versus Finland in April 1983. Between 1989 and 2008 it housed the Jarmark Europa, one of the largest outdoor markets on the continent. Yet the area has got football in its atoms, so inevitably the authorities commissioned a sporting rebirth.

The National Stadium hosted Poland's recent matches on the way to qualifying for UEFA EURO 2024UEFA via Getty Images

The fortress of Poland: a new era for national team football

The National Stadium was duly inaugurated in 2012 and its façade, featuring red and white panels, resemble a Polish flag fluttering in the wind. Its first international assignment came on 29 February 2012, a goalless draw between the hosts and Portugal. The new arena then staged the opening game of EURO 2012 as Poland drew with Greece, as well as a semi-final won by Italy against Germany.

Subsequently it has been such a happy hunting ground for the Eagles – as Poland’s men’s national team are nicknamed – that it’s known locally as the fortress of Poland. Indeed, the men’s national team are unbeaten here for almost eight years, with football historian Wojciech Frączek proudly pointing out that Poland have played 42 official games in this setting, winning 26, drawing 11 and losing only five. What’s more, 30 of Robert Lewandowski’s 83 international goals have been plundered at the venue.

On the club scene, Sevilla won the 2015 UEFA Europa League here, as Unai Emery’s team beat Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 3-2, partly inspired by a goal from Polish midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak. Away from football, Usain Bolt set a 100m indoors record at the stadium in 2014 (with the roof closed), then Polish hammer thrower Anita Włodarczyk followed suit with a world record of her own in 2016.

A legacy of Polish success

In short, this new incarnation of Poland’s foremost stadium has been a huge success. Zbigniew Boniek, who scored twice in the 1984 UEFA Super Cup match for Juventus against Liverpool and is a current UEFA vice-president, says: “I always dreamt about such a stadium. I wanted Polish people to have a fantastic place like this. It is the most modern stadium in Poland.”

The venue holds special memories for Boniek. “It stages the Polish Cup final and a fantastic children’s tournament played the same day. It is called Puchar Tymbarku and takes place on 2 May, our national flag day. The most memorable moment for me, though, was 11 October 2014 when Poland beat Germany for the first time. I watched that game as Polish FA president. An amazing moment.”

Another former Polish international, Jerzy Dudek, who is still the only Pole to play for Super Cup contenders Real Madrid, is also an admirer of the venue. “I was here for the first time in 2012, at an event leading up to the EURO, and it impressed me from the beginning. At the time there was a tendency to build these stadiums outside cities, completely unlike this arena. It fits perfectly with its surroundings.”

Dudek, a 2005 UEFA Champions League winner, believes the stadium exemplifies his country’s positive relationship with UEFA, explaining: “It is about trust. We were awarded the EURO with Ukraine and that is why the stadium was built. Now we can organise other fantastic events. I also like its multifunctionality. I have witnessed not only great football here but other events like volleyball or speedway.

“UEFA trusted us and we did not fail. I am very happy that we will have the Super Cup here – another great football event in this beautiful place.”