A centenary celebrated one year late
The 2026/27 PKO BP Ekstraklasa is the 101st edition of Polish league football — a jubilee campaign marking 100 years since the league was founded in 1927. It is a season unlike any other for a number of reasons: 18 teams, 34 rounds with no split into championship and relegation groups, and a historically unique set of participants.
Three clubs from Krakow — for the first time since 1953
For the first time in 73 years, three clubs from Krakow are competing in the Ekstraklasa simultaneously. Wisla Krakow returned after a four-year absence, Cracovia are a regular top-flight presence, and Wieczysta Krakow — a club founded just a few years ago — made their debut as the 88th club in the competition's history. The Krakow derbies are shaping up to be one of the season's biggest attractions. Three clubs from one city in the same league generates enormous excitement and media interest, and is a phenomenon not witnessed since 1953.
Lech Poznan hunting a historic third successive title
Lech Poznan have won the last two Polish championships and are now hunting a historic hat-trick — three titles in a row, something last achieved in Polish football during Wisla Krakow's period of dominance in the early 2000s. Lech were involved in Champions League qualifying over the summer and face one of the most demanding seasons in the club's history — simultaneously fighting for the title while competing in European football is a considerable challenge.
Polish clubs in Europe
Five Polish clubs are competing in European football in the 2026/27 season: Lech Poznan in the Champions League qualifiers, Gornik Zabrze and Jagiellonia Bialystok in the Europa League, and Rakow Czestochowa and GKS Katowice in the Conference League. That is a historic record for Polish football in terms of the number of representatives on the European stage at the same time.