Grzegorz Lato questions Robert Lewandowski's national team legacy: "What successes does he have?"

In brief

• Grzegorz Lato said on WeszłoTV that Robert Lewandowski will not leave a great legacy in the Polish national team.
• Lewandowski's best result at a major tournament with Poland was the EURO 2016 quarter-final.
• Otherwise, Poland got out of the group only once more, at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Criticism aimed at the team captain

Grzegorz Lato criticized Robert Lewandowski's record in the Polish national team on the WeszłoTV program. According to him, the striker, who for most of his career was among the world's best, will not leave a great legacy in the squad (Grzegorz Lato: Jakie Lewandowski ma sukcesy w kadrze? Co mnie interesuje Barcelona? – Sport.pl) (Grzegorz Lato podważa reprezentacyjny dorobek Roberta Lewandowskiego. „A sukcesy?" – transfery.info).

Results with the national emblem

Lato's comments concerned only his play for the national team. At club level, Lewandowski scored goals for Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona. For the national team, his best result at a major tournament came in 2016, when Poland reached the EURO quarter-final. Otherwise, the team got out of the group once more, at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Question about successes

Lato asked, in Polish media reports, what successes Lewandowski has with the national team. The question came in the context of an overall assessment of his national team career, not a single match („Jakie ma sukcesy w kadrze?”. Grzegorz Lato ostro o Lewandowskim – weszlo.com) (Lato uderzył w Lewandowskiego. "Jakie ma sukcesy?" – SportoweFakty). Lewandowski, who is 38, remains one of the top goalscorers in Polish national team history, but the number of goals was not the subject of this criticism.

Reactions and context

The statement was published on November 14, 2026, and excerpts spread through sports media over the following days. The topic returns to the debate about how to assess Polish football legends after the end of their national team careers.