Eastern Europe's only representative in the European Championship in football in Switzerland is not expected to get past the group stage, and it would be an upset if the team would snatch points from Sweden in tonight's meeting in Luzern.
As a championship debutant, it may not be the most important thing.
More significant is that Poland's women's national football team has finally started to gain a foothold among its own people.
We are the only country from Eastern Europe here. And that means something. We hope that the development will just continue. In five years, perhaps football will be the biggest women's sport in all of Poland, says national team coach Nina Patalon.
Investment from the association
She is not just talking from her own wishful dreams.
In an interview with Dagens Nyheter Dariusz Wojtaszyn, professor at the Department of Modern History at Wroclaw University in Poland, says that a lot has happened with the attitude towards women's football in the country.
He has researched women's football in the region.
The Polish Football Association has intensively supported women's football in recent times. According to the association's data, more than 25,000 girls and women play competitive football in Poland right now, a significant increase from 3,000 in 2013, says Wojtaszyn to DN.
"No one would have believed it"
The European Championship premiere against Germany also showed the increased interest. According to the public service company TVP, the match was watched by more than two million people in Poland.
When we found out that two million Poles had seen the match, we just felt: "Wow". It's so cool that so many wanted to see us. Because we really give everything for this. And that's what the people in Poland expect from us, says defender Sylwia Matysik.
The press conference at the match arena in Luzern the day before the match was well-filled with Polish journalists. National team coach Nina Patalon says that she sees how women's football develops day by day on all levels.
Just look at the number of people watching us play. If someone had previously said that two million would watch Poland's matches, no one would have believed it. But that's the reality now, says Patalon.
Poland-Sweden kicks off at 9:00 PM.
