Road to Qatar: how Poland qualified for World Cup 2022 - in pictures

Any fears that the Qatar World Cup might be denied the presence of one of the great modern strikers were dispelled when Poland sealed their spot in the finals.

The Poles had finished second in Group I under manager Paulo Sousa, six points behind table-toppers England, meaning they would have to qualify via the play-offs.

It meant the presence of prolific Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski in the first Middle East finals was still far from guaranteed.

Their route was made easier when semi-final opponents Russia were disqualified from the tournament following the invasion of Ukraine.

That left Sweden standing in their way, and Poland made no mistake with Lewandowski, inevitably, on target to secure a place in Qatar.

Lewandowski finished as Poland's top scorer in the group stage with eight goals.

In Qatar, they have been drawn in Group C alongside Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Mexico.

In the gallery above, you can see how Poland qualified for the finals that kick off on November 21. To view the next image, click on the arrows or just swipe if on a mobile device.

Poland's fixtures in Qatar

November 22 Mexico v Poland – Stadium 974 (8pm)

November 26 Poland v Saudi Arabia – Education City Stadium (5pm)

November 30 Poland v Argentina – Stadium 974 (11pm)