 Zieliński withPoland at the2018 FIFA World Cup | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Piotr Sebastian Zieliński[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1994-05-20)20 May 1994 (age 31)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Ząbkowice Śląskie, Poland | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Inter Milan | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2007 | Orzeł Ząbkowice Śląskie | ||
| 2007–2011 | Zagłębie Lubin | ||
| 2011–2012 | Udinese | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2016 | Udinese | 19 | (0) |
| 2014–2016 | →Empoli (loan) | 63 | (5) |
| 2016–2024 | Napoli | 281 | (37) |
| 2024– | Inter Milan | 35 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009 | Poland U15 | 5 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | Poland U16 | 6 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Poland U17 | 10 | (1) |
| 2012 | Poland U18 | 5 | (1) |
| 2011–2012 | Poland U19 | 15 | (5) |
| 2012–2013 | Poland U21 | 3 | (1) |
| 2013– | Poland | 105 | (16) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:06, 23 November 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 22:50, 17 November 2025 (UTC) | |||
Piotr Sebastian Zieliński (Polish pronunciation:[ˈpjɔtrʑɛˈlij̃skʲi]ⓘ; born 20 May 1994) is a Polish professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder forSerie A clubInter Milan and thePoland national team. He is known for his versatility, precision passing, dribbling, and endurance.[3][4][5][6][7]
Zieliński began his senior club career at Italian clubUdinese in 2012 before joiningEmpoli on loan in 2014. He then joined fellow Italian clubNapoli for a reported €16 million fee in 2016. During his spell at Napoli, he established himself as a key player of the team, winning theCoppa Italia and helping the club to win the firstSerie A title in 33 years. He appeared in 364 official matches for Napoli, which makes him one of the club's most consistent and long-serving players during his tenure from 2016 to 2024.[8] In 2024, he moved to Inter Milan.[9]
At the international level, Zieliński has earned over 100 caps for Poland since 2013. He was selected to represent the nation atUEFA Euro 2016 in France, where he helped his team reach the quarter-finals. He also participated at the2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, the pan-EuropeanUEFA Euro 2020, the2022 World Cup in Qatar, and theUEFA Euro 2024 in Germany. In 2023, he was named thePolish Footballer of the Year.[10] He is often considered as one of the greatest Polish footballers of all time.[11]
Zieliński started his career at his local club,Orzeł Ząbkowice Śląskie, where he was coached by his father.[12] At the age of 14, he joinedZagłębie Lubin, even though he was wanted byBayer Leverkusen andLiverpool and also had trials atFeyenoord andHeerenveen.[12] He spent four years at the academy playing in theMłoda Ekstraklasa League and was regularly called up to thePoland national under-17 football team.[13] He rose through the ranks and started training with the first team at the age of 15, underFranciszek Smuda.[12] At 17, he moved abroad to joinUdinese after they scouted him on international youth tournament.[12]
In the 2011–12 season, he played in theCampionato Nazionale Primavera scoring two goals in twelve matches. Zieliński made his debut inSerie A on 2 November 2012 when he replacedAntonio Di Natale in 91st minute of a match againstCagliari.[14] On 14 April 2013, he made his first appearance in the club's starting lineup and registered an assist in Udinese's convincing 3–0 victory overParma.[15]
In 2014, Zieliński joinedEmpoli on loan.[16] On 13 August 2014, he made his official debut for Empoli replacingDaniele Croce in the 80th minute of the match againstAS Roma, which ended in a 0–1 loss for his club.[17] On 3 December 2014, he made his debut appearance inCoppa Italia in a 2–0 victory overGenoa.[18] On 26 April 2015, he provided an assist in a 2–2 draw against Atalanta.[19] Zieliński ended his season-long loan to Empoli with 30 appearances and 3 assists. In July 2015, he extended his contract with the club for another season.[20]
He began the2015–16 Serie A season as a starter inMaurizio Sarri's team. On 13 September 2015, he assistedRiccardo Saponara's goal in a 2–2 draw againstNapoli.[21] On 4 October 2015, he registered an assist forMassimo Maccarone's deciding goal in Empoli's 1–0 victory overSassuolo. In the 90th minute of the match, he was given a second yellow card forcing him to leave the pitch.[22] On 24 October 2015, he scored his first goal in Serie A with a well-placed header in a 2–0 victory overGenoa.[23] On 23 January 2016, he scored againstAC Milan in a match, which concluded in a 1–1 draw.[24] On 21 February 2016, he scored a goal against Sassuolo in a match which concluded in Empoli's 2–3 loss and on 10 April he scored again against Fiorentina securing a 2–0 victory for his team.[25] Zieliński played a total of 37 matches for Empoli in the season scoring 5 goals and delivering 3 assists. Before the start of the next season, Zieliński prepared to change clubs and held talks with a number of clubs includingLiverpool.[26]
On 4 August 2016, after months of transfer speculation, Zieliński moved from Udinese to Napoli for a reported €16 million.[27] On 21 August 2016, he made his debut appearance for Napoli, alongside his compatriotArkadiusz Milik, substitutingMarek Hamšík in the 71st minute of the match againstPescara, which ultimately concluded in a 2–2 draw.[28] On 10 September 2016, he debuted in Napoli's starting lineup and provided an assist toJosé Callejón's goal againstPalermo in Napoli's 3–0 victory.[29] On 13 September 2016, Zieliński made hisChampions League debut in Napoli's match againstDynamo Kyiv, which concluded in his team's 2–1 victory.[30] He became the 57th Polish player to participate in Champions League representing a foreign club.[30] On 7 January 2017, his performance in the match against Sampdoria (2–1) marked his 100th match played in Serie A.[31] On 14 May 2017, he netted the final goal in Napoli's decisive 5–0 away win againstTorino.[32] He scored his first goal with Partenopei's shirt on 3 December, in a 3–0 home win againstInter Milan;[33] he ended his first season with six goals and six assists in 47 mataches.
Zieliński began the2017–18 Serie A season as a starting lineup player in the match againstVerona, which took place on 19 August and concluded with Napoli's 3–1 win.[34] On 27 August 2017, he scored an equalizer to make it 1–1 in Napoli's 3–1 win over Atalanta.[35] On 10 September 2017, he netted a goal againstBologna contributing to a comfortable 3–0 victory for Napoli.[36] On 18 November 2017, he entered the pitch in the 69th minute of the match againstAC Milan as a substitute forMarek Hamšík and scored the second goal in Napoli's narrow 2–1 victory.[37] On 21 November 2017, Zieliński scored his first Champions League goal in the match againstShakhtar Donetsk, which ended with Napoli's decisive 3–0 win.[38] He netted another Champions League goal on 6 December 2017, in the match againstFeyenoord, which ultimately concluded with his club's 1–2 loss.[39] On 16 December 2017, he scored in a Serie A match against Torino to make it 2–0 after an assist fromJorginho, the match eventually ending in Napoli's 3–1 victory.[40] On 22 February 2018, he scored his first goal inUEFA Europa League in the match againstRB Leipzig, contributing to a 2–0 victory for Napoli.[41] He finished the season having played in 36 Serie A matches and scoring 4 goals while Napoli finished as runners-up four points behind Juventus.
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In the first round of the2018–19 Serie A season, Zieliński played in the match against Lazio that his club won 2–1. In his next match, on 25 August 2018, he netted a brace in a hard-fought win againstAC Milan in which his team came back from a 2–0 deficit.[42][43] On 8 December 2018, he scored again in Napoli's emphatic 4–0 win overFrosinone.[44] On 14 February 2019, he scored a goal in aUEFA Europa League match againstFC Zürich (3–1).[45] On 24 February 2019, Zieliński scored a goal after an assist fromElseid Hysaj in the match against Parma (4–0).[46] On 7 May 2019,Dries Mertens scored a goal after collecting a pass from Zieliński in a 1–1 draw against Genoa.[47] On 19 May 2019, he scored Napoli's first goal in the club's 4–1 victory overInter Milan.[48]
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On 31 August 2019, he registered an assist toHirving Lozano's goal in Napoli's 3–4 loss to Juventus.[49] On 7 December 2019, he netted an equalizer and secured a 1–1 draw against Udinese.[50] On 26 January 2020, he scored the first goal in Napoli's 2–1 win against Juventus.[51] On 3 February 2020, he provided an assist to compatriotArkadiusz Milik's goal in Napoli's 4–2 victory over Sampdoria.[52] On 25 February 2020, he provided an assist in a Champions League match againstBarcelona, which concluded in a 1–1 draw.[53] On 17 June 2020, Zieliński won theCoppa Italia with Napoli beating Juventus in the final penalty shootout.[54] On 31 August 2020, he signed new contract with Napoli until June 2023.
Zieliński started the season playing the full 90 minutes against Parma (2–0) in the first round of Serie A. On 27 September 2020, he scored a goal and registered an assist in Napoli's resounding 6–0 win over Genoa.[55] Zieliński tested positive forCOVID-19 and as a result missed the next two matches againstAtalanta andBenevento.[56][57] He returned to the starting line-up on 29 November 2020 in the match againstAS Roma (4–0) after making a full recovery.[58] On 10 December 2020, he scored a goal in aUEFA Europa League group stage match againstReal Sociedad (1–1).[59] On 3 January 2021, he scored two goals in a 4–1 win overCagliari.[60] On 17 January 2021, he scored again in the match against Fiorentina (6–0) delivering a precise strike from outside the penalty area.[61] On 6 February 2021, he played as Napoli's captain for the first time in the match against Genoa (1–2).[62] On 3 March 2021, he netted a goal contributing to a 3–3 draw against Sassuolo and in the next Serie A match against Bologna (3–1), he delivered two assists toLorenzo Insigne's andVictor Osimhen's goals respectively.[63] On 14 March 2021, he registered an assist toMatteo Politano's decisive goal in Napoli's 1–0 victory overAC Milan.[64] On 8 May 2021, he scored a goal and registered an assist in the match againstSpezia, which concluded in Napoli's 4–1 win.[65] Zieliński ended the season scoring 10 goals and delivering 13 assists for the club in 46 official matches.
On 21 August 2021, he sustained a quadriceps injury in a match againstVenezia (2–0), which prevented him from playing in the next match againstGenoa.[66] On 23 September 2021, he returned to the starting lineup and scored his first goal in the2021–22 Serie A season in a 4–0 victory overSampdoria.[67] On 26 September 2021, he registered an assist in Napoli's 2–0 victory overCagliari and repeated this in the next match on 3 October againstFiorentina (2–1).[68] On 31 October 2021, not only did he decide the derby betweenSalernitana and Napoli, scoring the only goal of the game, but with 32 goals he also became the second best Polish goal-scorer in Serie A's history (behindArkadiusz Milik), beatingZbigniew Boniek's record.[69] On 17 February 2022, he scored a goal for Napoli in aEuropa League match againstBarcelona which ended in a 1–1 draw.[70] On 15 August 2022, he scored againstHellas Verona contributing to his side's 5–2 victory at theStadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.[71]
On 21 August 2022, he registered two assists in Napoli's 4–0 victory overMonza.[72] On 4 October 2022, he scored another Champions League goal in a match againstAjax, which concluded in Napoli's 6–1 demolition of the Dutch side.[73] On 4 May 2023, after a 1–1 draw againstUdinese, Zielinski celebrated with Napoli the club's firstSerie A title in 33 years sinceDiego Maradona won the title in 1990.[74] On 24 December 2023, he was namedPolish Footballer of the Year beatingRobert Lewandowski by 12 points and breaking his four consecutive win streak.[10]
On 7 April 2024, he scored a goal in the match againstMonza, which ended in Napoli's 4–2 win.[75] On 7 September 2022, he scored two goals and provided one assist in aChampions League group stage match againstLiverpool, which concluded in a 4–1 victory for Napoli.[76] At the end of June 2024, it was announced on the official website that Zieliński along with five other players left the club, following the contract expiration.[77] At Napoli, Zieliński played a total of 364 matches scoring 51 goals and providing 46 assists.[8]
On 3 July 2024, Zieliński signed for the fellowSerie A clubInter Milan on a free transfer following the expiration of his Napoli contract.[78] On 27 October 2024, Zieliński scored two goals, both from penalty kicks, in aDerby d'Italia match againstJuventus, which ended in a 4–4 draw.[79] The two goals were his first goals scored for Inter Milan.[80] On 26 November 2024, Zieliński received the UEFA Man of the Match award for his performance in Inter Milan's 1–0 victory overRB Leipzig atSan Siro in a league phase match of the2024–25 UEFA Champions League.[81] On 23 December 2024, Zieliński entered the pitch in the second half and of the match againstComo and provided an assist contributing to Inter's 2–0 victory.[82]
On 4 June 2013, Zieliński made his senior international debut for thePoland national team in a friendly match againstLiechtenstein.[83] On 31 July 2013, he was called up for a friendly match againstDenmark scoring his first goal for the national team in the second half and securing a 3–2 win for Poland.[84]
On 27 March 2018, he scored a goal in a friendly match againstSouth Korea, which concluded in Poland's 3–2 win.[85] In May 2018, he was named in Poland's preliminary 35-man squad for the2018 World Cup in Russia.[86] On 7 September 2018, he scored a goal after an assist fromRobert Lewandowski againstItaly in aUEFA Nations League match that ended in a 1–1 draw.[87] On 10 June 2019, he registered an assist toKamil Grosicki's goal in aUEFA European Championship elimination match againstIsrael contributing to a 4–0 victory for Poland.[88]
On 5 March 2021, he provided an assist toKamil Jóźwiak's goal in aFIFA World Cup elimination match againstHungary at thePuskás Aréna, which concluded in a 3–3 draw.[89] On 8 June 2021, he netted a goal in a friendly match againstIceland.[90] On 23 June 2021, he provided an assist to Robert Lewandowski's goal to make it 1–2 in aUEFA Euro 2020 group stage match againstSweden, which ended in Poland's 2–3 loss.[91] On 26 November 2022, he scored the first goal in Poland's 2–0 victory overSaudi Arabia in a group stage match at the2022 World Cup.[92] On 7 June 2024, he scored a goal in a friendly match againstUkraine at theNational Stadium contributing to Poland's 3–1 victory.[93] He provided an assist in the Euro 2024 group stage match against the Netherlands. On 15 October 2024, he scored a goal in a 3–3 draw againstCroatia in the group stage of theUEFA Nations League.[94]
On 8 June 2025, Zieliński was named newcaptain of the Poland national team by head coachMichał Probierz, taking over fromRobert Lewandowski.[95] He made no appearances as captain before the role was handed back to Lewandowski by newly appointed head coachJan Urban in August 2025.[96] Later that year, on 4 September, he featured in his 100th international match in a 1–1 away draw against theNetherlands during the2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.[97]
Zieliński usually plays the left-sided midfielder role as a part of the midfield three or two, and has occasionally played on the right side to implement specific in-game tactics.[98] Exceptional ball control, precision passing and the ability of maneuvering through tight spaces are seen as his distinctive strengths.[5] One of Zieliński's other notable skills on the pitch is the ability to shoot with either foot equally well. His ambidexterity had been perfected with much work and practice since early childhood.[99]
His consistency, the ability to read the game and crucial passes made him one of the pillars of the team during his spell at Napoli contributing to his club winning theCoppa Italia in 2020 and theSerie A title in 2023.[100][5] Zieliński citesZinedine Zidane andMarek Hamšík as his footballing inspirations.[101][102] He also admiredTomáš Rosický in his youth.[99]
His older brothers Tomasz andPaweł are also footballers.[103] On 15 June 2019, Zieliński married Laura Słowiak[104] with whom he has a son, Maksymilian (born 2021).[105] In 2021, he passed anItalian language exam at the B2 level at theUniversity of Naples.[106] On 9 January 2023, he was awarded the Father Albert Medal for establishing and funding twochildren's homes inLower Silesia.[107] On 6 October 2023, Zieliński also formally received the Italian citizenship.[108] On 27 December 2023, he became an honorary citizen ofGiugliano in Campania.[109]
| Club | Season | League | Coppa Italia | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Udinese | 2012–13 | Serie A | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |
| 2013–14 | Serie A | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Total | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | |||
| Empoli (loan) | 2014–15 | Serie A | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | Serie A | 35 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 5 | |||
| Total | 63 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 66 | 5 | ||||
| Napoli | 2016–17 | Serie A | 36 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 7[b] | 0 | — | 47 | 6 | |
| 2017–18 | Serie A | 36 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 9[c] | 3 | — | 47 | 7 | ||
| 2018–19 | Serie A | 36 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 12[d] | 1 | — | 49 | 7 | ||
| 2019–20 | Serie A | 37 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 7[b] | 0 | — | 49 | 2 | ||
| 2020–21 | Serie A | 36 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 6[a] | 2 | 1[e] | 0 | 47 | 10 | |
| 2021–22 | Serie A | 35 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7[a] | 2 | — | 42 | 8 | ||
| 2022–23 | Serie A | 37 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10[b] | 4 | — | 48 | 7 | ||
| 2023–24 | Serie A | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6[b] | 1 | 1[e] | 0 | 35 | 4 | |
| Total | 281 | 37 | 17 | 1 | 64 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 364 | 51 | ||
| Inter Milan | 2024–25 | Serie A | 26 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 10[b] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 39 | 2 |
| 2025–26 | Serie A | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | |
| Total | 35 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 398 | 45 | 22 | 1 | 79 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 502 | 59 | ||
_(cropped).jpg)
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 2013 | 7 | 3 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 12 | 3 | |
| 2019 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 12 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 13 | 4 | |
| 2025 | 6 | 2 | |
| Total | 105 | 16 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 August 2013 | Gdańsk Stadium,Gdańsk, Poland |  Denmark | 3–2 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 10 September 2013 | San Marino Stadium,Serravalle, San Marino |  San Marino | 1–0 | 5–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 4–1 | |||||
| 4 | 27 March 2018 | Silesian Stadium,Chorzów, Poland |  South Korea | 3–2 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 5 | 8 June 2018 | Poznań Stadium,Poznań, Poland |  Chile | 2–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 6 | 7 September 2018 | Stadio Renato Dall'Ara,Bologna, Italy |  Italy | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2018–19 UEFA Nations League A |
| 7 | 8 June 2021 | Poznań Stadium, Poznań, Poland |  Iceland | 1–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 8 | 29 March 2022 | Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland |  Sweden | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9 | 11 June 2022 | De Kuip,Rotterdam, Netherlands |  Netherlands | 2–0 | 2–2 | 2022–23 UEFA Nations League A |
| 10 | 26 November 2022 | Education City Stadium,Al Rayyan, Qatar |  Saudi Arabia | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2022 FIFA World Cup |
| 11 | 21 March 2024 | Stadion Narodowy,Warsaw, Poland |  Estonia | 2–0 | 5–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
| 12 | 7 June 2024 |  Ukraine | 2–0 | 3–1 | Friendly | |
| 13 | 12 October 2024 |  Portugal | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A | |
| 14 | 15 October 2024 |  Croatia | 1–0 | 3–3 | 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A | |
| 15 | 9 October 2025 | Silesian Stadium, Chorzów, Poland |  New Zealand | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 16 | 17 November 2025 | National Stadium,Ta' Qali, Malta |  Malta | 3–2 | 3–2 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Napoli
Inter Milan
Poland U21
Individual
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
