FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Preview: Poland

WARSAW (Poland) – Being one of the hosts of FIBA EuroBasket 2025, Poland had a secure spot at the Final Round, their 8th berth in a row and 30th appearance in total.

A European powerhouse in the 1960s, Poland emerged as a dark horse at the last edition and almost claimed their first podium spot in 55 years. However, they missed out on a medal after making it into the Semi-Finals.

Coach Igor Milicic and his team are now back with a new hope of writing a fairytale, but this time on home soil. Their journey begins in Katowice where a well-organized team is looking to stir up some drama in the Group D.

Schedule

August 28: vs Slovenia (20:30 CET)
August 30: vs Israel (20:30 CET)
August 31: vs Iceland (20:30 CET)
September 2: vs France (20:30 CET)
September 4: vs Belgium (20:30 CET)

Star Player

Mateusz Ponitka

198 cm (6’6″) | Small forward

With the unfortunate Jeremy Sochan dropping out at the last minute through injury, Poland’s hopes and dreams will once again be greatly influenced with what Mateusz Ponitka can do. The true EuroBasket veteran is ready to suit up for his fifth appearance at the Final Round, making his debut in 2013.

Ponitka was a crucial part of Poland’s successful campaign into the Semi-Finals in 2022 with 13.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists on average and his country can be sure that this 31-year-old small forward will once again put up his all-around clinic and lead Poland on the floor.

He also played a big part in coming to this event with 21 points per game in three outings in the Qualifiers. Having played two of the last three seasons in the EuroLeague, we can be sure that Ponitka will be the most dangerous of the bunch once again aiming for the dark horse status.

History

Poland was the basketball powerhouse in the early days of EuroBasket, picking up a bronze medal at the third edition in 1939. Three more podium spots came in the greatest era for the national team, in the 1960s when the best result ever ensued: a runners-up spot on home soil in 1963, followed by two consecutive bronze medals.

Two more fourth placed finishes followed, and then came a big drought without a Semi-Finals spot. Poland even missed out on seven tournaments since the last podium, including four instances between 1999 and 2005. However, 2007 marked the new resurgence and a beginning of the streak that extends to today with eight straight berths, making it a round 30 appearances at the big stage with another fourth place achieved at the last outing in 2022.

Runners-up: 1963
Third Place: 1939, 1965, 1967
Fourth Place: 1937, 1969, 1971, 2022

Check out the all-time EuroBasket medalists

Learn More

EuroBasket Top Scorers

How they qualified

Gameday 1: LTU 83-64 POL
Gameday 2: POL 71-96 MKD
Gameday 3: POL 78-82 EST
Gameday 4: EST 86-88 POL
Gameday 5: POL 48-82 LTU
Gameday 6: MKD 88-74 POL

Poll: Where will they finish?

Tickets

FIBA