Ekstraklasa

Ekstraklasa (Polish pronunciation: [ˌɛkstraˈklasa]; meaning "Extra Class" in Polish), officially known as PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa due to its sponsorship by PKO Bank Polski, is a professional association football league in Poland and the highest level of the Polish football league system.

Ekstraklasa
Organising bodyEkstraklasa S.A.
Founded4 December 1926;
99 years ago
 (1926-12-04)
First season1927
CountryPoland
ConfederationUEFA
Number of clubs18 (since 2021–22)
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toI liga
Domestic cup(s)Polish Cup
Polish Super Cup
International cup(s)UEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa League
UEFA Conference League
Current championsLech Poznań (9th title)
(2024–25)
Most championshipsLegia Warsaw
(15 titles)
Most appearancesŁukasz Surma (559)
Top scorerErnest Pohl (186)
Broadcaster(s)Canal+ Polska
TVP Sport (one game per week)
Websiteekstraklasa.org
Current: 2025–26 Ekstraklasa

Contested by 18 clubs, operating a system of promotion and relegation with the I liga, seasons start in July, and end in May or June the following year. Teams play a total of 34 games each. Games are played on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays. The winner of the Ekstraklasa qualifies for the Polish Super Cup. Since 2005, the league is operated by the Ekstraklasa Spółka Akcyjna.

The Ekstraklasa (former I liga) was officially formed as Liga Polska on 4–5 December 1926 in Warsaw, since 1 March 1927 as Liga Piłki Nożnej (Polish pronunciation: [ˈliɡa ˈpiwkʲi ˈnɔʐnɛj]), but the Polish Football Association (Polish: Polski Związek Piłki Nożnej, PZPN) had been in existence since 20 December 1919, a year after the independence of Poland in 1918. The first games of the freshly created league took place on 3 April 1927, while the first national non-league football championship took place in 1920.

A total of 86 teams have played in the top division of Polish football since the founding of the league, 20 of which have won the title. The current champions are Lech Poznań, who won their 9th title in the 2024–25 season.

History

Naming

  • 1927–1948: Liga
  • 1949–2004: I liga
  • 2004–2005: Idea Ekstraklasa
  • 2005–2008: Orange Ekstraklasa
  • 2011–2015: T-Mobile Ekstraklasa
  • 2016–2019: Lotto Ekstraklasa
  • 2019–: PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa

Creation of the Polish Football League

On 4–5 December 1926 in Warsaw, representatives from several Polish clubs met to discuss the creation of a league. It is unknown where the idea of a Polish league originated from, however a national league was thought to be a much more practical solution than hitherto practiced two-stage system of regional matches followed by a national match.

To the dismay of clubs' officials, the PZPN was not receptive to the idea of a national league and therefore sought to thwart it. However, it turned out that virtually all but one of the Polish clubs supported the idea. The decision to create it was made regardless what PZPN's representatives thought of it. In late February 1927, at the PZPN's meeting in Warsaw, its officials openly opposed the formation of a league, but the clubs, allegedly egged on by some generals from the Polish Army (which, after May Coup of 1926, played a key role in all aspects of public life), proceeded anyway. The creation of the League was announced on 1 March 1927.

Cracovia

The only opponent of the league's formation was Cracovia – a very influential and strong organization in Polish football of the 1920s. Cracovia's boycott was because its chairman, Dr. Edward Cetnarowski, at the same time held the post of the director of the PZPN. Cetnarowski was a personality known not only in Poland, but also in other countries. It was due to his efforts that in September 1923, Cracovia toured Spain, drawing 1–1 with Barcelona and losing 0–1 to Real Madrid. In October, also thanks to Cetnarowski, Sevilla travelled to Kraków, losing 2–3 to Cracovia.

Early years of the league

Games of the first league championships started on 3 April 1927. All major teams (except for Cracovia) took part in it. This is the list of the teams (in the order they finished in November 1927):

  • Wisła Kraków
  • 1. FC Kattowitz
  • Warta Poznań
  • Pogoń Lwów
  • Legia Warsaw
  • Klub Turystów Łódź
  • ŁKS Łódź
  • Polonia Warsaw
  • Czarni Lwów
  • Toruński KS
  • Hasmonea Lwów
  • Ruch Chorzów
  • KS Warszawianka
  • Jutrzenka Kraków

In this first season of the league, fight for championship was decided between two powerful teams – Wisła Kraków and 1.FC Katowice. This rivalry was treated very seriously, not only by the two sides involved, but also by the whole nation. 1.FC was regarded as the team supported by German minority, while Wisła, at the end of this historic season, represented ambitions of all Poles.

Some time in the fall of 1927 in Katowice, an ill-fated game between 1.FC and Wisła took place. Stakes were very high – the winner would become the champion. Kraków's side won 2–0 and became the champion. 1.FC finished second, third was Warta Poznań.

1920s

In 1928, Cracovia finally decided to enter the league, which was gladly accepted by all fans of football. However, championships were once again won by Wisła, with such excellent players as Henryk Reyman, Mieczysław Balcer and Jan Kotlarczyk. Warta Poznań was second and Legia Warsaw third. This was also the last year of 1.FC's glory. The team finished fifth, to be relegated forever at the end of 1929 season.

In 1929, another team (after Cracovia, Pogoń Lwów and Wisła) was added to the list of champions of Poland. This time it was Warta Poznań, which finished one point ahead of Garbarnia Kraków.

However, after the last game, on 1 December 1929, it was Garbarnia Kraków that was celebrating the championship. Two weeks later, in mid-December, PZPN's officials changed the result of the Warta – Klub Turystow Łódź game. Originally, Warta lost 1–2, but due to walkover (it was decided that one of Łódź's players did not have all necessary documents), this was changed to 3–0 in favor of Poznań's side. As a result of the decision, Warta (with 33 points) became the champion, Garbarnia finished second with 32 points and Klub Turystow was relegated.

In 1930, Cracovia regained the championship, (to repeat this success in 1932) and a year later another Kraków's side, Garbarnia, won the league. It is clear that the 1927–1932 period was marked by dominance of teams from Kraków. During this time, only once (Warta Poznań, 1929) the championship was won by a side from a different city. The 1931 champion, Garbarnia, was unique as this was the first time that the league had been won by a side whose all players had been bought from other teams.

1930s

As has been said, the early 1930s marked a decline of the dominance of Kraków and Lwów as centers of Polish football. The point of gravity slowly moved towards west – to Upper Silesia. In 1932 the champion was Cracovia, but starting in 1933, Ruch Chorzów (then: Ruch Wielkie Hajduki) completely dominated the league, being the champion for four times in a row.

Ruch, with such excellent players as Teodor Peterek, Ernest Wilimowski and Gerard Wodarz was by far the best team in those years. For example, in 1934 it finished seven points ahead of second Cracovia. Other important teams of these years were: Cracovia, Wisła Kraków, Pogoń Lwów and Warta Poznań.

In 1933 and 1934 there were 12 teams in the League. In 1935 this number was cut to 11 and in 1936 – to 10. Football officials did it on purpose – with fewer teams, the competition was supposed to be harder, which would attract fans to the stadiums. However, supporters' turnout was not impressive, with Ruch Chorzów as the most popular team, both at home and away.

In late 1935 (the league held its games in the spring-summer-fall system) fans were shocked to find that Cracovia, the legend of this sport, was relegated to the A-class. Kraków's side absence lasted for a year – it returned in 1937, to become the champion.

Ruch Chorzów was still the dominant team, winning the Championships in 1936 and 1938. In 1937 Ruch's streak of four consecutive champions was broken by Cracovia, and in 1939 the championships were not finished. By 31 August 1939, after some 12 games, Ruch was the leader of the 10-team League. Last games of this summer occurred on 20 August. Then, a break was planned, because the National Team was going to play a few international friendlies. Games were to be re-introduced on 10 September.

This is the list of the ten teams that participated in last, historic games for championships of interwar Poland. Teams are presented according to their position on the table, as of 31 August 1939:

  1. Ruch Chorzów
  2. Wisła Kraków
  3. Pogoń Lwów
  4. AKS Chorzów
  5. Warta Poznań
  6. Cracovia
  7. Polonia Warsaw
  8. Garbarnia Kraków
  9. Warszawianka Warsaw
  10. Union Touring Łódź

After World War II

As a result of the Second World War, the borders of Poland changed significantly. Lwów, one of the centers of Polish football (with such teams as Pogoń Lwów, Czarni Lwów and Lechia Lwów) was annexed by Soviet Union and all these teams ceased to exist. Lwów's football officials and players moved westwards, creating such clubs as Odra Opole and Pogoń Szczecin, and reviving Polonia Bytom (see: Recovered Territories). Another important center, Wilno (with the team Śmigły Wilno), was also annexed by the Soviets (see: Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union). In exchange, Poland gained a large swath of formerly German territory in particular in Silesia (which also formed part of Poland centuries prior), with its capital Wrocław (home of double champion Śląsk Wrocław) and cities such as Zabrze (home of 14-times champion Górnik Zabrze), Bytom (home of champions Polonia Bytom and Szombierki Bytom) and Lubin (home of double champion Zagłębie Lubin). 18 teams played in the league between seasons of 1992 and 1998.

The 2020s was marked by the league's rise in the UEFA coefficient, boosted by the good results of Polish clubs in European competitions with Lech Poznań reaching the quarterfinals of the UEFA Conference League in the 2022–23 season.

Clubs

There are 18 clubs in the Ekstraklasa. During the course of the season each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 34 games. From the 2013–14 till the 2019–20 season, after the 30th round the table was divided into 'champion' (top eight teams) and 'relegation' (bottom eight teams) groups. Each team played seven more games (teams ranked 1–4 and 9–12 would host four games at home). The 2016–17 season was the last when teams started an extra round with half the points (rounded up) achieved during the first phase of 30 matches. The changes extended the season to a total of 296 matches played. The 2021–22 season started with 18 teams, instead of 16.

Clubs as of the 2025–26 season.

Team Location Venue Capacity
Arka Gdynia Gdynia GOSiR Stadium 15,139
Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza Nieciecza Bruk-Bet Stadium 4,666
Cracovia Kraków Józef Piłsudski Stadium 15,016
GKS Katowice Katowice Arena Katowice 15,048
Górnik Zabrze Zabrze Arena Zabrze 2 28,236
Jagiellonia Białystok Białystok Chorten Arena 22,372
Korona Kielce Kielce EXBUD Arena 15,700
Lech Poznań Poznań Enea Stadion 42,837
Lechia Gdańsk Gdańsk Polsat Plus Arena Gdańsk 41,620
Legia Warsaw Warsaw Polish Army Stadium 31,103
Motor Lublin Lublin Motor Lublin Arena 15,247
Piast Gliwice Gliwice Piotr Wieczorek Stadium 9,913
Pogoń Szczecin Szczecin Florian Krygier Stadium 21,163
Radomiak Radom Radom Czachor Brothers Stadium 8,840
Raków Częstochowa Częstochowa zondacrypto Arena 5,500
Widzew Łódź Łódź Widzew Łódź Stadium 18,018
Wisła Płock Płock Kazimierz Górski Orlen Stadium 15,004
Zagłębie Lubin Lubin KGHM Zagłebie Arena 16,086
  1. ^ Upgrading to 31,871.

List of champions

  • 1921: Cracovia (1)
  • 1922: Pogoń Lwów (1)
  • 1923: Pogoń Lwów (2)
  • 1924: Abandoned°
  • 1925: Pogoń Lwów (3)
  • 1926: Pogoń Lwów (4)
  • 1927: Wisła Kraków (1)
  • 1928: Wisła Kraków (2)
  • 1929: Warta Poznań (1)
  • 1930: Cracovia (2)
  • 1931: Garbarnia Kraków (1)
  • 1932: Cracovia (3)
  • 1933: Ruch Chorzów (1)
  • 1934: Ruch Chorzów (2)
  • 1935: Ruch Chorzów (3)
  • 1936: Ruch Chorzów (4)
  • 1937: Cracovia (4)
  • 1938: Ruch Chorzów (5)
  • 1939: Abandoned°°
  • 1946: Polonia Warsaw (1)
  • 1947: Warta Poznań (2)
  • 1948: Cracovia (5)
  • 1949: Wisła Kraków (3)
  • 1950: Wisła Kraków (4)
  • 1951: Wisła Kraków°°° (5)
  • 1952: Ruch Chorzów (6)
  • 1953: Ruch Chorzów (7)
  • 1954: Polonia Bytom (1)
  • 1955: Legia Warsaw (1)
  • 1956: Legia Warsaw (2)
  • 1957: Górnik Zabrze (1)
  • 1958: ŁKS Łódź (1)
  • 1959: Górnik Zabrze (2)
  • 1960: Ruch Chorzów (8)
  • 1961: Górnik Zabrze (3)
  • 1962: Polonia Bytom (2)
  • 1962–63: Górnik Zabrze (4)
  • 1963–64: Górnik Zabrze (5)
  • 1964–65: Górnik Zabrze (6)
  • 1965–66: Górnik Zabrze (7)
  • 1966–67: Górnik Zabrze (8)
  • 1967–68: Ruch Chorzów (9)
  • 1968–69: Legia Warsaw (3)
  • 1969–70: Legia Warsaw (4)
  • 1970–71: Górnik Zabrze (9)
  • 1971–72: Górnik Zabrze (10)
  • 1972–73: Stal Mielec (1)
  • 1973–74: Ruch Chorzów (10)
  • 1974–75: Ruch Chorzów (11)
  • 1975–76: Stal Mielec (2)
  • 1976–77: Śląsk Wrocław (1)
  • 1977–78: Wisła Kraków (6)
  • 1978–79: Ruch Chorzów (12)
  • 1979–80: Szombierki Bytom (1)
  • 1980–81: Widzew Łódź (1)
  • 1981–82: Widzew Łódź (2)
  • 1982–83: Lech Poznań (1)
  • 1983–84: Lech Poznań (2)
  • 1984–85: Górnik Zabrze (11)
  • 1985–86: Górnik Zabrze (12)
  • 1986–87: Górnik Zabrze (13)
  • 1987–88: Górnik Zabrze (14)
  • 1988–89: Ruch Chorzów (13)
  • 1989–90: Lech Poznań (3)
  • 1990–91: Zagłębie Lubin (1)
  • 1991–92: Lech Poznań (4)
  • 1992–93: Lech Poznań (5)
  • 1993–94: Legia Warsaw (5)
  • 1994–95: Legia Warsaw (6)
  • 1995–96: Widzew Łódź (3)
  • 1996–97: Widzew Łódź (4)
  • 1997–98: ŁKS Łódź (2)
  • 1998–99: Wisła Kraków (7)
  • 1999–2000: Polonia Warsaw (2)
  • 2000–01: Wisła Kraków (8)
  • 2001–02: Legia Warsaw (7)
  • 2002–03: Wisła Kraków (9)
  • 2003–04: Wisła Kraków (10)
  • 2004–05: Wisła Kraków (11)
  • 2005–06: Legia Warsaw (8)
  • 2006–07: Zagłębie Lubin (2)
  • 2007–08: Wisła Kraków (12)
  • 2008–09: Wisła Kraków (13)
  • 2009–10: Lech Poznań (6)
  • 2010–11: Wisła Kraków (14)
  • 2011–12: Śląsk Wrocław (2)
  • 2012–13: Legia Warsaw (9)
  • 2013–14: Legia Warsaw (10)
  • 2014–15: Lech Poznań (7)
  • 2015–16: Legia Warsaw (11)
  • 2016–17: Legia Warsaw (12)
  • 2017–18: Legia Warsaw (13)
  • 2018–19: Piast Gliwice (1)
  • 2019–20: Legia Warsaw (14)
  • 2020–21: Legia Warsaw (15)
  • 2021–22: Lech Poznań (8)
  • 2022–23: Raków Częstochowa (1)
  • 2023–24: Jagiellonia Białystok (1)
  • 2024–25: Lech Poznań (9)

°Abandoned due to the preparations of the Poland national team to participate in the 1924 Olympic Football Tournament.
°°Abandoned due to the outbreak of World War II. By 31 August 1939, Ruch Chorzów was the leader.
°°°In 1951, the Polish Football Association decided to give the Polish championship title to the winner of the Polish Cup, in order to increase the importance of the re-activated cup competition. Ruch Chorzów finished the league in 6th , but won the cup, beating 2–0 Wisła Kraków in the final game. Wisła Kraków were declated the league champion.

Performance by club

Note: This list is not synonymous with a list of Polish football champions.
Bold indicates clubs playing in the top division in the 2024–25 season.

Titles Team Year(s)
15
Legia Warsaw 1955, 1956, 1969, 1970, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2006, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021
14
Górnik Zabrze 1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988
Wisła Kraków 1927, 1928, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1978, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011
13 Ruch Chorzów 1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1952, 1953, 1960, 1968, 1974, 1975, 1979, 1989
9 Lech Poznań 1983, 1984, 1990, 1992, 1993, 2010, 2015, 2022, 2025
5 Cracovia 1921, 1930, 1932, 1937, 1948
4 Pogoń Lwów 1922, 1923, 1925, 1926
Widzew Łódź 1981, 1982, 1996, 1997
2 ŁKS Łódź 1958, 1998
Polonia Bytom 1954, 1962
Polonia Warsaw 1946, 2000
Stal Mielec 1973, 1976
Śląsk Wrocław 1977, 2012
Warta Poznań 1929, 1947
Zagłębie Lubin 1991, 2007
1 Garbarnia Kraków 1931
Jagiellonia Białystok 2024
Piast Gliwice 2019
Raków Częstochowa 2023
Szombierki Bytom 1980

The following table lists the league champions by the Polish voivodeship regions (current, valid since 1999).

Region Titles Winning clubs
Silesia
32
Górnik Zabrze (14), Ruch Chorzów (13), Polonia Bytom (2), Szombierki Bytom (1), Piast Gliwice (1), Raków Częstochowa (1)
Lesser Poland
20
Wisła Kraków (14), Cracovia (5), Garbarnia Kraków (1)
Masovia
17
Legia Warsaw (15), Polonia Warsaw (2)
Greater Poland
11
Lech Poznań (9), Warta Poznań (2)
Łódź
6
Widzew Łódź (4), ŁKS Łódź (2)
Lower Silesia
4
Zagłębie Lubin (2), Śląsk Wrocław (2)
Subcarpathian
2
Stal Mielec (2)
Podlaskie
1
Jagiellonia Białystok (1)

The following table lists the league champions by city.

City Titles Winning clubs
Kraków
20
Wisła Kraków (14), Cracovia (5), Garbarnia Kraków (1)
Warsaw
17
Legia Warsaw (15), Polonia Warsaw (2)
Zabrze
14
Górnik Zabrze (14)
Chorzów
13
Ruch Chorzów (13)
Poznań
11
Lech Poznań (9), Warta Poznań (2)
Łódź
6
Widzew Łódź (4), ŁKS Łódź (2)
Lwów
4
Pogoń Lwów (4)
Bytom
3
Polonia Bytom (2), Szombierki Bytom (1)
Lubin
2
Zagłębie Lubin (2)
Mielec
2
Stal Mielec (2)
Wrocław
2
Śląsk Wrocław (2)
Białystok
1
Jagiellonia Białystok (1)
Częstochowa
1
Raków Częstochowa (1)
Gliwice
1
Piast Gliwice (1)

Honored teams

After winning a Polish championship titles, a representative star is placed above the team's badge to indicate achieving the feat.

The current (as of May 2024) officially sanctioned championship stars are:

  • Golden star: 10 or more Polish championship titles:
  • Silver star: 5–9 Polish championship titles:
    • Cracovia
    • Lech Poznań
  • White star: 1–4 Polish championship titles:
    • Jagiellonia Białystok
    • ŁKS Łódź
    • Piast Gliwice
    • Polonia Bytom
    • Polonia Warsaw
    • Raków Częstochowa
    • Stal Mielec
    • Śląsk Wrocław
    • Warta Poznań
    • Widzew Łódź
    • Zagłębie Lubin

All-time league table

The all-time league table consists of all the teams that once participated in the Ekstraklasa. Data from the 1927 – 2024–25 seasons.

Source: Tabela wszech czasów 90minut.pl

Pos. Club Seasons Current level Matches played Points Total wins Wins for 3 pts Draws Losses Losses for −1 pts Goals scored Goals conceded Goal difference
1 Legia Warsaw 88 1st 2468 3595 1217 547 611 640 3 4110 2607 +1503
2 Wisła Kraków 82 2nd 2231 2927 984 404 559 688 6 3585 2685 +900
3 Górnik Zabrze 67 1st 1982 2553 837 300 561 584 1 2941 2245 +696
4 Lech Poznań 64 1st 1886 2489 779 412 515 592 8 2656 2159 +497
5 Ruch Chorzów 78 2nd 2101 2460 847 198 569 685 6 3147 2713 +434
6 ŁKS Łódź 67 2nd 1790 1809 610 104 486 694 6 2297 2504 -207
7 Pogoń Szczecin 52 1st 1583 1790 542 262 444 597 7 1927 2103 -176
8 Śląsk Wrocław 46 2nd 1439 1684 509 234 428 502 5 1707 1754 -47
9 Widzew Łódź 38 1st 1177 1489 460 214 358 359 6 1522 1386 +136
10 Zagłębie Lubin 36 1st 1159 1484 423 320 320 416 1 1447 1424 +23
11 Cracovia 46 1st 1231 1421 449 226 302 480 1735 1729 +6
12 GKS Katowice 31 1st 928 1079 335 101 293 300 2 1072 1024 +48
13 Lechia Gdańsk 32 1st 913 1039 303 196 243 367 1 1033 1211 -178
14 Polonia Warsaw 31 2nd 800 966 304 180 178 318 1165 1251 -86
15 Jagiellonia Białystok 22 1st 729 946 263 238 199 267 7 926 1009 -83
16 Zagłębie Sosnowiec 36 3rd 987 918 322 11 267 398 4 1180 1330 -150
17 Stal Mielec 30 2nd 903 909 291 52 272 334 6 1021 1087 -66
18 Polonia Bytom 35 2nd 889 879 289 32 272 328 4 1097 1139 -42
19 Korona Kielce 17 1st 571 741 191 191 168 212 673 768 -95
20 Piast Gliwice 15 1st 515 720 193 193 141 181 623 612 +11
21 Szombierki Bytom 25 5th 702 645 235 180 287 5 875 999 -124
22 Wisła Płock 16 1st 516 620 168 160 124 224 613 759 -146
23 Warta Poznań 22 3rd 542 590 222 45 101 219 979 881 +98
24 Gwardia Warsaw 23 not existing 572 539 195 149 228 682 764 -82
25 Odra Wodzisław Śląski 14 9th 418 529 145 145 94 179 487 570 -83
26 Odra Opole 22 2nd 564 523 182 159 223 645 740 -95
27 Raków Częstochowa 10 1st 339 513 146 137 84 109 445 383 +62
28 Arka Gdynia 16 1st 508 510 144 75 147 217 522 667 -145
29 Amica Wronki 11 not existing 332 498 135 135 93 104 452 370 +82
30 GKS Bełchatów 12 4th 375 486 130 130 96 149 422 463 -41
31 Dyskobolia Grodzisk Wielkopolski 10 not existing 294 441 124 124 69 101 420 357 +63
32 Zawisza Bydgoszcz 14 4th 430 376 126 22 98 206 461 651 -190
33 Garbarnia Kraków 15 6th 315 306 121 64 130 563 561 +2
34 Pogoń Lwów 13 abroad 273 304 130 44 99 537 439 +98
35 Stomil Olsztyn 8 5th 254 296 76 69 75 103 255 339 -84
36 Górnik Łęczna 8 2nd 257 276 70 70 66 121 260 391 -131
37 Motor Lublin 10 1st 308 269 84 14 99 125 12 307 431 -124
38 Stal Rzeszów 11 2nd 290 255 79 97 114 297 377 -80
39 Hutnik Kraków 7 3rd 234 254 75 23 81 78 299 284 +15
40 KS Warszawianka 13 not existing 271 227 90 47 134 427 612 -185
41 Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała 6 3rd 201 222 54 54 60 87 225 310 -85
42 Olimpia Poznań 8 not existing 250 220 67 5 91 92 10 269 317 -48
43 AKS Chorzów 10 not existing 192 196 80 36 76 336 307 +29
44 Radomiak Radom 5 1st 166 196 52 44 48 66 194 223 -29
45 Bałtyk Gdynia 7 6th 210 186 64 61 85 4 184 247 -63
46 ROW Rybnik 7 5th 198 165 50 65 83 165 233 -78
47 Bruk-Bet Termalica Nieciecza 4 1st 145 156 39 39 39 67 149 227 -78
48 Górnik Wałbrzych 6 5th 180 154 52 2 55 73 7 190 243 -53
49 Zagłębie Wałbrzych 6 7th 160 142 50 42 68 131 166 -35
50 Czarni Lwów 7 not existing 164 141 56 29 79 265 326 -61
51 Górnik Radlin 8 7th 162 136 50 36 76 193 280 -87
52 Sokół Pniewy 4 not existing 136 130 36 16 42 58 128 190 -62
53 Polonia Bydgoszcz 7 6th 156 129 47 35 74 186 296 -110
54 Ruch Radzionków 3 5th 90 109 30 30 19 41 105 135 -30
55 Stal Stalowa Wola 4 3rd 132 103 32 44 56 113 173 -60
56 1. FC Katowice 3 9th 78 88 39 10 29 164 143 +21
57 GKS Tychy 3 2nd 90 86 28 30 32 105 113 -8
58 Klub Turystów Łódź 3 not existing 78 73 31 11 36 134 161 -27
59 KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski 3 4th 92 71 18 18 17 57 73 147 -74
60 Puszcza Niepołomice 2 2nd 68 68 15 15 23 30 76 112 -36
61 Siarka Tarnobrzeg 3 4th 102 65 19 3 24 59 88 169 -81
62 Arkonia Szczecin 4 6th 88 64 20 24 44 100 166 -66
63 Miedź Legnica 2 2nd 71 63 14 14 21 36 73 120 -47
64 Śląsk Świętochłowice 3 6th 66 45 19 7 40 84 166 -82
65 Lechia/Olimpia Gdańsk 1 not existing 34 40 11 11 7 16 39 59 -20
66 Unia Racibórz 2 7th 52 38 14 10 28 77 126 -49
67 Hasmonea Lwów 2 not existing 54 38 14 10 30 98 149 -51
68 Wawel Kraków 2 8th 32 37 13 11 8 50 36 +14
69 Igloopol Dębica 2 5th 64 37 9 19 36 43 121 -78
70 Strzelec 22 Siedlce 3 not existing 64 36 14 8 42 84 169 -85
71 Sandecja Nowy Sącz 1 3rd 37 33 6 6 15 16 34 54 -20
72 Szczakowianka Jaworzno 1 5th 30 32 8 8 8 14 40 54 -14
73 RKS Radomsko 1 5th 28 31 7 7 10 11 23 34 -11
74 TKS Toruń 2 not existing 54 30 13 4 37 84 185 -101
75 Podgórze Kraków [pl] 2 8th 42 27 11 5 26 56 105 -49
76 Górnik Polkowice 1 4th 26 23 6 6 5 15 17 37 -20
77 Tarnovia Tarnów 1 6th 26 22 10 2 14 42 48 -6
78 Świt Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki 1 4th 26 22 5 5 7 14 21 42 -21
79 Rymer Rybnik 1 8th 26 19 8 3 15 45 64 -19
80 GKS Jastrzębie 1 3rd 30 19 8 8 14 5 24 43 -19
81 Dąb Katowice 2 not existing 36 14 7 29 29 97 -68
82 ŁTS-G Łódź 1 not existing 22 12 3 6 13 25 67 -42
83 Śmigły Wilno 1 not existing 18 11 5 1 12 29 50 -21
84 Jutrzenka Kraków 1 not existing 26 11 3 5 18 41 82 -41
85 Lechia Lwów 1 not existing 22 11 5 1 16 23 66 -43
86 Union Touring Łódź 1 not existing 12 3 1 1 10 15 51 -36

From 1927 to 2025, a total of 86 teams contested in the Ekstraklasa.

Bold- indicates teams currently playing in the 2025–26 season.

Explanation

  1. In case of an equal amount of points between teams, positions are decided on the basis of goal difference, then a greater number of goals scored.
  2. From the 1927 to the 1994–95 season, two points were awarded for a win and one point for a draw. From the 1986–87 to the 1989–90 season, a win by at least three goals additionally awarded one point, while one point was deducted for a loss by at least three goals. Since the 1995–96 season, three points are awarded for a win, and one point for a draw.
  3. Includes championship and relegation play-off games (including 11 games in 1948, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89), but does not include promotion/relegation play-offs between teams from different divisions.
  4. Included matches from the unfinished 1939 season.

Penalty points

Includes penalties imposed by the Polish Football Association:

  • In the 1934 season, the match between Garbarnia Kraków and ŁKS Łódź was declared a bilateral forfeit 3–3 (match did not take place due to the fault of both teams).
  • Results of the following matches from the 1986–87 season (Lech Poznań – Polonia Bytom 1–1, Olimpia Poznań – Stal Mielec 1–3, Zagłębie Lubin – Ruch Chorzów 0–2) and the 1992–93 season (Wisła Kraków – Legia Warsaw 0–6, ŁKS Łódź – Olimpia Poznań 7–1) were invalidated due to suspicion of match-fixing. While the games were recognized as having taken place, the points and goals were nullified (which is reflected in the table). More: Sunday of Miracles.
  • In the 1993–94 season, Legia Warsaw, Wisła Kraków and ŁKS Łódź were deducted three points for the events of the final round of the 1992–93 season.
  • In the 2009–10 season, Jagiellonia Białystok were deducted 10 points for participating in the match-fixing scandal.
  • In the 2012–13 season, Zagłębie Lubin were deducted three points for participating in the match-fixing scandal.
  • In the 2015–16 season, Wisła Kraków, Górnik Zabrze, Lechia Gdańsk and Ruch Chorzów were deducted one point each for failing to meet the licensing requirements.
  • In the 2016–17 season, Ruch Chorzów were deducted four points for failing to meet the licensing requirements.
  • In the 2020–21 season, Cracovia were deducted five points for participating in the match-fixing scandal during the 2003–04 II liga season.

Top goalscorers

Year Tally Player Club
1927 37 goals Henryk Reyman Wisła Kraków
1928 28 goals Ludwik Gintel Cracovia
1929 25 goals Rochus Nastula Czarni Lwów
1930 24 goals Karol Kossok Cracovia
1931 24 goals Walerian Kisieliński Wisła Kraków
1932 16 goals Kajetan Kryszkiewicz Warta Poznań
1933 19 goals Artur Woźniak Wisła Kraków
1934 33 goals Ernst Wilimowski Ruch Hajduki Wielkie
1935 22 goals Michał Matyas Pogoń Lwów
1936 18 goals Teodor Peterek
Ernst Wilimowski
Ruch Hajduki Wielkie
Ruch Hajduki Wielkie
1937 12 goals Artur Woźniak Wisła Kraków
1938 21 goals Teodor Peterek Ruch Hajduki Wielkie
1939 12 goals Ernst Wilimowski Ruch Hajduki Wielkie
1948 31 goals Józef Kohut Wisła Kraków
1949 20 goals Teodor Anioła Lech Poznań
1950 21 goals Teodor Anioła Lech Poznań
1951 20 goals Teodor Anioła Lech Poznań
1952 11 goals Gerard Cieślik Ruch Chorzów
1953 24 goals Gerard Cieślik Ruch Chorzów
1954 13 goals Henryk Kempny
Ernst Pohl
Polonia Bytom
Legia Warsaw
1955 16 goals Stanisław Hachorek Gwardia Warsaw
1956 21 goals Henryk Kempny Legia Warsaw
1957 19 goals Lucjan Brychczy Legia Warsaw
1958 19 goals Władysław Soporek ŁKS Łódź
1959 21 goals Jan Liberda
Ernst Pohl
Polonia Bytom
Górnik Zabrze
1960 17 goals Marian Norkowski Polonia Bydgoszcz
1961 24 goals Ernst Pohl Górnik Zabrze
1962 16 goals Jan Liberda Polonia Bytom
1963 18 goals Marian Kielec Pogoń Szczecin
1964 18 goals Lucjan Brychczy
Józef Gałeczka
Jerzy Wilim
Legia Warsaw
Zagłębie Sosnowiec
Szombierki Bytom
1965 18 goals Lucjan Brychczy Legia Warsaw
1966 23 goals Włodzimierz Lubański Górnik Zabrze
1967 18 goals Włodzimierz Lubański Górnik Zabrze
1968 24 goals Włodzimierz Lubański Górnik Zabrze
1969 22 goals Włodzimierz Lubański Górnik Zabrze
1970 18 goals Andrzej Jarosik Zagłębie Sosnowiec
1971 13 goals Andrzej Jarosik Zagłębie Sosnowiec
1972 16 goals Ryszard Szymczak Gwardia Warsaw
1973 13 goals Grzegorz Lato Stal Mielec
1974 15 goals Zdzisław Kapka Wisła Kraków
1975 19 goals Grzegorz Lato Stal Mielec
1976 20 goals Kazimierz Kmiecik Wisła Kraków
1977 17 goals Włodzimierz Mazur Zagłębie Sosnowiec
1978 15 goals Kazimierz Kmiecik Wisła Kraków
1979 17 goals Kazimierz Kmiecik Wisła Kraków
1980 24 goals Kazimierz Kmiecik Wisła Kraków
1981 18 goals Krzysztof Adamczyk Legia Warsaw
1982 15 goals Grzegorz Kapica Szombierki Bytom
1983 15 goals Mirosław Okoński
Mirosław Tłokiński
Lech Poznań
Widzew Łódź
1984 14 goals Włodzimierz Ciołek Górnik Wałbrzych
1985 14 goals Leszek Iwanicki Motor Lublin
1986 20 goals Andrzej Zgutczyński Górnik Zabrze
1987 24 goals Marek Leśniak Pogoń Szczecin
1988 20 goals Dariusz Dziekanowski Legia Warsaw
1989 24 goals Krzysztof Warzycha Ruch Chorzów
1990 18 goals Andrzej Juskowiak Lech Poznań
1991 21 goals Tomasz Dziubiński Wisła Kraków
1992 20 goals Jerzy Podbrożny
Mirosław Waligóra
Lech Poznań
Hutnik Kraków
1993 25 goals Jerzy Podbrożny Lech Poznań
1994 21 goals Zenon Burzawa Sokół Pniewy
1995 16 goals Bogusław Cygan Stal Mielec
1996 29 goals Marek Koniarek Widzew Łódź
1997 18 goals Mirosław Trzeciak ŁKS Łódź
1998 14 goals Arkadiusz Bąk
Sylwester Czereszewski
Mariusz Śrutwa
Polonia Warsaw
Legia Warsaw
Ruch Chorzów
1999 21 goals Tomasz Frankowski Wisła Kraków
2000 19 goals Adam Kompała Górnik Zabrze
2001 18 goals Tomasz Frankowski Wisła Kraków
2002 21 goals Maciej Żurawski Wisła Kraków
2003 24 goals Stanko Svitlica Legia Warsaw
2004 20 goals Maciej Żurawski Wisła Kraków
2005 25 goals Tomasz Frankowski Wisła Kraków
2006 21 goals Grzegorz Piechna Korona Kielce
2007 15 goals Piotr Reiss Lech Poznań
2008 23 goals Paweł Brożek Wisła Kraków
2009 19 goals Paweł Brożek
Takesure Chinyama
Wisła Kraków
Legia Warsaw
2010 18 goals Robert Lewandowski Lech Poznań
2011 14 goals Tomasz Frankowski Jagiellonia Białystok
2012 22 goals Artjoms Rudņevs Lech Poznań
2013 14 goals Róbert Demjan Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała
2014 22 goals Marcin Robak Piast Gliwice
Pogoń Szczecin
2015 20 goals Kamil Wilczek Piast Gliwice
2016 28 goals Nemanja Nikolić Legia Warsaw
2017 18 goals Marco Paixão
Marcin Robak
Lechia Gdańsk
Lech Poznań
2018 24 goals Carlitos Wisła Kraków
2019 24 goals Igor Angulo Górnik Zabrze
2020 24 goals Christian Gytkjær Lech Poznań
2021 22 goals Tomáš Pekhart Legia Warsaw
2022 20 goals Ivi López Raków Częstochowa
2023 16 goals Marc Gual Jagiellonia Białystok
2024 19 goals Erik Expósito Śląsk Wrocław
2025 28 goals Efthymis Koulouris Pogoń Szczecin

Records

All-time most appearances

Rank Player Apps Years Club(s)
1 Łukasz Surma 559 1996–2007, 2009–2017 Wisła Kraków 50, Ruch Chorzów 261, Legia Warsaw 123, Lechia Gdańsk 125
2 Marcin Malinowski 458 1997–2015 Odra Wodzisław 303, Ruch Chorzów 155
3 Marek Chojnacki 452 1978–1988, 1990–1996 ŁKS Łódź
4 Arkadiusz Głowacki 435 1997–2010, 2012–2018 Lech Poznań 75, Wisła Kraków 360
5 Łukasz Trałka 431 2004–2022 Pogoń Szczecin 38, ŁKS Łódź 8, Lechia Gdańsk 16, Polonia Warsaw 92, Lech Poznań 217, Warta Poznań 60
6 Dariusz Gęsior 427 1988–2006 Ruch Chorzów 178, Widzew Łódź 103, Pogoń Szczecin 33, Amica Wronki 37, Wisła Płock 63, Dyskobolia Grodzisk 13
7 Łukasz Madej 417 1999–2017 ŁKS Łódź 75, Ruch Chorzów 26, Lech Poznań 63, Górnik Łęczna 17, Śląsk Wrocław 111, GKS Bełchatów 24, Górnik Zabrze 101
8 Janusz Jojko 416 1980–1998, 2003 Ruch Chorzów 116, GKS Katowice 276, KSZO Ostrowiec Św. 24
Marek Zieńczuk 2000–2016 Amica Wronki 122, Wisła Kraków 132, Lechia Gdańsk 3, Ruch Chorzów 159
10 Rafał Janicki 396 2010– Lechia Gdańsk 176, Lech Poznań 45, Wisła Kraków 38, Podbeskidzie Bielsko-Biała 13, Górnik Zabrze 124
As of 6 December 2025. Source: Klub 300
(Bold denotes players still playing in the Ekstraklasa)

All-time top goalscorers

Rank Player Goals Years Club(s)
1 Ernest Pohl 186 1954–1967 CWKS Warsaw 43, Górnik Zabrze 143
2 Lucjan Brychczy 182 1954–1971 Legia Warsaw
3 Gerard Cieślik 168 1948–1959 Ruch Chorzów
4 Tomasz Frankowski 167 1992–2013 Jagiellonia Białystok 52, Wisła Kraków 115
5 Teodor Peterek 157 1928–1948 Ruch Chorzów
6 Włodzimierz Lubański 155 1963–1975 Górnik Zabrze
7 Kazimierz Kmiecik 153 1968–1982 Wisła Kraków
8 Paweł Brożek 149 2001–2020 Wisła Kraków 144, GKS Katowice 5
9 Jan Liberda 146 1953–1969 Polonia Bytom
10 Teodor Anioła 138 1948–1961 Lech Poznań
As of 15 August 2023. Source: Klub 100
(Bold denotes players still playing in the Ekstraklasa)

All-time most appearances by foreign players

Rank Player Apps Years Club(s)
1 Taras Romanczuk 329 2014– Jagiellonia Białystok
2 Dušan Kuciak 328 2011–2015, 2017–2024 Legia Warsaw 131, Lechia Gdańsk 196, Raków Częstochowa 1
3 Flávio Paixão 310 2014–2023 Śląsk Wrocław 71, Lechia Gdańsk 239
4 Miroslav Radović 276 2006–2014, 2016–2019 Legia Warsaw
5 Róbert Pich 270 2014–2023 Śląsk Wrocław 253, Legia Warsaw 17
6 Pavol Staňo 243 2007–2016 Polonia Bytom 17, Jagiellonia Białystok 43, Korona Kielce 121, Podbeskidzie 26, Termalica Bruk-Bet 26
7 Aleksandar Vuković 242 2001–2013 Legia Warsaw 166, Korona Kielce 76
8 Vahan Gevorgyan 236 1999–2009, 2013–2014 Wisła Płock 162, Jagiellonia Białystok 18, ŁKS Łódź 19, Zawisza Bydgoszcz 37
Jesús Imaz 2017– Wisła Kraków 47, Jagiellonia Białystok 189
Vlastimir Jovanović 2010–2018, 2021 Korona Kielce 176, Bruk-Bet Termalica 60
(Bold denotes players still playing in the Ekstraklasa, italics denotes players who later represented Poland internationally)
As of 25 May 2025. Source: link.

All-time top foreign goalscorers

Rank Player Goals Years Club(s)
1 Flávio Paixão 108 2014–2023 Śląsk Wrocław 24, Lechia Gdańsk 84
2 Jesús Imaz 97 2017– Wisła Kraków 14, Jagiellonia Białystok 83
3 Mikael Ishak 73 2020– Lech Poznań
4 Miroslav Radović 66 2006–2014, 2016–2019 Legia Warsaw
5 Igor Angulo 62 2017–2020 Górnik Zabrze
6 Marco Paixão 61 2013–2018 Śląsk Wrocław 27, Lechia Gdańsk 34
7 Christian Gytkjær 55 2017–2020 Lech Poznań
8 Erik Expósito 54 2020–2024 Śląsk Wrocław
Kasper Hämäläinen 2013–2019 Lech Poznań 33, Legia Warsaw 21
10 Róbert Pich 52 2014–2023 Śląsk Wrocław
(Bold denotes players still playing in the Ekstraklasa)
As of 25 May 2025. Source: link.

Transfer records

League presidents

Nr. League President Term
from to
1. Roman Górecki 1 March 1927 January 1929
2. Ignacy Izdebski January 1929 16 January 1933
3. Zygmunt Żołędziowski 16 January 1933 17 January 1936
4. Juliusz Geib 17 January 1936 30 August 1936
5. Michał Jaroszyński 30 August 1936 Fall 1938
6. Karol Stefan Rudolf Fall 1938 17 September 1939
7. Tadeusz Dręgiewicz 10 August 1946 18 August 1946
- League Suspended 18 August 1946 22 February 1947
- VP PZPN for League 22 February 1947 14 June 2005
8. Michał Tomczak 14 June 2005 29 November 2005
9. Andrzej Rusko 29 November 2005 14 March 2012
10. Bogusław Biszof 1 September 2012 30 June 2015
11. Dariusz Marzec 1 July 2015 9 October 2017
12. Marcin Animucki 9 October 2017 present

2003–2005 match-fixing scandal

Despite match-fixing becoming punishable by law in mid-2003, several clubs were still involved in the process in the following months. They were later penalized:

  • Arka Gdynia – a one-tier relegation, a five-point deduction at the start of the 2007–08 season.
  • Cracovia – a five-point deduction at the start of the 2020–21 season and a 1,000,000 PLN fine.
  • Górnik Łęczna – a two-tier relegation, a six-point deduction at the start of the 2007–08 season.
  • Górnik Polkowice – a two-tier relegation, a six-point deduction at the start of the 2007–08 season and a 70,000 PLN fine.
  • Korona Kielce – a one-tier relegation.
  • Jagiellonia Białystok – a ten-point deduction at the start of 2009–10 season and a 300,000 PLN fine.
  • KSZO Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski – a one-tier relegation, a six-point deduction at the start of the 2007–08 season.
  • Zagłębie Lubin – a one-tier relegation.
  • Zagłębie Sosnowiec – a one-tier relegation.

Statistics

UEFA coefficients

The following data indicates Polish coefficient rankings between European football leagues.

Media coverage

Since 1994, Ekstraklasa broadcast rights have been held by Canal+ Poland, with several other broadcasters presenting select games over the years. In 2022, Canal+ renewed their rights through 2027 in a deal worth 1.4 billion PLN. On 17 July 2024, TVP Sport announced they have acquired a sublicense to show one game per week until the end of the 2026–27 season.

See also

  • Football in Poland
  • List of foreign Ekstraklasa players
  • List of Polish football champions
  • List of sports attendance figures

Notes


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