Joel Pohjanpalo opened the scoring with a penalty in the 27th minute following an error by Poland goalkeeper Łukasz Skorupski. Benjamin Källman doubled Finland’s lead in the 64th minute.
Jakub Kiwior pulled one back for Poland five minutes later after a defensive mix-up in the box.
The Polish side pushed for an equaliser but created few clear chances in the remaining minutes at the Olympic Stadium in the Finnish capital.
The match was temporarily suspended in the second half due to a medical emergency involving a fan in the stands.
Poland are ranked 34th worldwide by football's governing body FIFA, while Finland are No. 69 in the FIFA table.
Poland entered the match without its new captain, Piotr Zieliński, who was sidelined with a calf injury, officials said.
Meanwhile, star striker Robert Lewandowski announced on Sunday that he would no longer play for the national team as long as head coach Michał Probierz remains in charge.
Poland boss Michał Probierz and team captain Piotr Zieliński during a pre-match press conference in Helsinki on Monday, June 9, 2025. Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak
Lewandowski's statement came shortly after the Polish Football Association (PZPN) announced Zieliński had been named captain, following a decision by Probierz.
Probierz told a news conference on Monday that his decision to strip Lewandowski of the armband was made "solely for the good of the team."
In an interview published the same day, Lewandowski said he had lost trust in the coach.
Poland began its World Cup qualifying campaign in March with with a 1-0 home win over Lithuania, followed by a 2-0 victory against Malta.
After three rounds of fixtures, Poland sit third in their qualifying Group G, with six points, behind Finland and the Netherlands.
The top two teams in each group will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup, which will take place in the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Poland reached the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar before being eliminated by eventual runners-up France.
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Source: PAP, pzpn.pl