In four months, Poland will host its first-ever major global women’s tournament, with the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2026™ set to take place from 5-27 September in the cities of Bielsko-Biala, Lodz, Katowice and Sosnowiec.
“It’s a wonderful time for us,” Poland U-20 coach Marcin Kasprowicz told FIFA ahead of the draw, which will be conducted on Friday. “I know that some coaches prefer to play away games, but for me it’s always better to play in Poland.
“I like this atmosphere and of course I am aware that in Poland we still need to promote women’s football, so every game is a chance to create the emotions. It’s part of the mission.”
Besides coaching Poland’s women’s youth teams, Kasprowicz is also a lecturer at the the John Paul II University of Applied Sciences in Biala Podlaska. But his academic life is also closely entangled with football – and in fact shaped his trajectory as a coach. Kasprowicz’s PhD thesis was an analysis of game structure at the FIFA Women’s World 2007 in China, with particular emphasis on the factors that determine success and victory in matches. “It was a very big inspiration for me, because that’s how I gained a deep understanding of women’s football and the structure of the game,” he shared.
Almost 20 years later, Polish women’s football has seen rapid development and Kasprowicz has been a big part of that. He has worked for the Polish FA for over a decade and coached from the U-14 to the U-20 level, having a hand in the recent upswing of women’s football in Poland. While the senior team qualified for UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 for the first time, Kasprowicz has taken his U-17 side to the quarter-finals at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Dominican Republic 2024™ after a third place at the U-17 Women’s EURO, and to another strong result at last year’s U-19 Women’s EURO, which was also hosted in Poland.
“We have been working together for almost four years, which is giving us a good basis,” Kasprowicz said about the group of players he’s likely to select for the upcoming tournament. “I believe in my players, in their experience. We are confident, because at the last EURO, we achieved fifth place, so we would be playing in this World Cup anyway. We’re not here as a gift because we are the hosts, but also achieved this position on sporting merit.”
The squad gained valuable experience on the world stage two years ago, when they made a surprise run to the last eight, going out to eventual champions Korea DPR. “We now know that we need to be able to adapt to different styles of play,” Kasprowicz spoke about their learnings. “Some teams are physically strong and fast, some have their strengths on the technical side and play well-organised football, and some teams have both – like Korea DPR.”
“We’ve got players that are playing in senior teams abroad and in Poland, and thanks to their experiences at previous tournaments, the team feels a responsibility and is ready to play and to represent the country – they are very aware of what it means to play in such a tournament,” he said.
“We want to play great football and make our dreams come true – and of course, we want to win every game,” Kasprowicz shared about his team’s ambitions at their home tournament, but also shared words of caution. “At the same time, we are aware of the quality of the other teams. We have our feet on the ground – some teams are super tough and play outstanding football, so in the end, anything can happen.”
This tournament is not just about sporting success for his team, but Kasprowicz is also well aware of the role this tournament can play for women’s football overall in the country. “We are grateful to have this chance,” he said. “In last year’s European Championship, every game we played there were 2,000 to 3,000 people in the stadiums, which is amazing. This is something special and we like to play for the fans; we appreciate their support.”
“For me, it’s a special time too, because everything we do now is for the development of Polish women’s football,” Kasprowicz stressed. “The Polish FA has special project to develop young players, like the Akademia Mlodych Orlow, the Young Eagles Academy. But the clubs are also important, they’re developing players much better than they did in the past. Like in England, Germany, Italy, France, Sweden, the best men’s clubs have women’s teams and we’re doing the same now.”
Hosting the U-20 Women’s World Cup is the latest step in Poland’s rise to the continental women’s football elite. “We are very grateful and very happy that we will have this great opportunity and great honour to be the hosts of this World Cup,” Kasprowicz concluded. “We’re excited and focused and want to achieve the best possible results. But I’m also aware of the fact that we still need to break some social and psychological barriers to promote women’s football, in Poland and in general.
“The best way to promote women’s football is to have great tournaments, to create big emotions, to share the excitement with the fans in the stadium, people on TV or on the field, to gather around the football. Everyone will see that it’s an amazing game, it’s something beautiful, it’s a passion that can inspire young girls.”
