Poland captain Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick in his country's 6-0 victory over Romania in the UEFA Nations League on Friday. The 38-year-old striker took his international tally to 92 goals, having reached the 90-goal milestone from the penalty spot during the encounter before adding two more strikes after the break. This performance marked Lewandowski's seventh international hat-trick for Poland.
The match took a decisive turn in the first half when Romanian defender Radu Drăgușin was sent off after fouling Lewandowski inside the penalty area. The incident handed Poland an opportunity to take the lead from the spot, which Lewandowski confidently converted to register his 90th international goal. Romania were consequently forced to continue with 10 men, giving Poland greater control of possession and the opportunity to exploit the numerical advantage.
Lewandowski's hat-trick also carried historical significance beyond the result. At 38 years and 42 days, he became the oldest player to score three goals in a single UEFA Nations League match, overtaking Cristiano Ronaldo, who was 34 years and 120 days old when he recorded a treble against Switzerland in the competition's 2019 semi-final. This record adds to a career in which Lewandowski has established himself as Poland's all-time leading goalscorer and one of the most prolific forwards of his generation.
Despite the commanding scoreline, Poland remain third in Group B4 with four points from three matches, behind Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Sweden and Bosnia and Herzegovina played out a 1-1 draw in another Group B4 fixture. Sweden took the lead through Viktor Gyökeres in the 61st minute, with the forward extending his remarkable Nations League scoring sequence to six consecutive matches.
The encounter also marked an emotional occasion for Bosnia captain Edin Džeko, who made his 152nd and final international appearance. Džeko, Bosnia's most-capped player and all-time leading goalscorer, received a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 63rd minute. Players from both teams formed a guard of honour in recognition of his contribution to the national side. Bosnia eventually secured a point through Kerim Alajbegović, who equalised in the 80th minute.
In other Nations League fixtures, France were held to a 1-1 draw by Italy in a League A1 encounter, bringing an end to their winning start under coach Zinedine Zidane. Belgium defeated Turkey 3-0, with Kevin De Bruyne scoring twice before Romelu Lukaku completed the victory. De Bruyne opened the scoring in the 10th minute following an exchange with Dodi Lukebakio before adding his second shortly after the hour mark.
Attention now shifts to Saturday's Matchday Three fixtures, with several high-profile encounters scheduled across the competition. The headline fixture is the League A3 meeting between Croatia and England, while Spain host Czechia in another important group encounter. Other fixtures include Finland vs Albania, Belarus vs San Marino, Estonia vs Luxembourg, Iceland vs Bulgaria, North Macedonia vs Scotland, and Switzerland vs Czechia is not listed but Spain vs Czechia.
Key points
- Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick in Poland's 6-0 win over Romania.
- Lewandowski became the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the UEFA Nations League.
- Poland currently sit third in Group B4 with four points from three matches.
