This exhibition commemorates the 125th anniversary of the first documented football match on Polish lands. It focuses on the pioneering era of football in Poland, particularly in Lviv, exploring the origins of Polish football, early clubs, and key figures.
Marking 125 years since the first documented football match on Polish soil, the Museum of Sport and Tourism in Warsaw presents the exhibition "Pierwszy mecz, pierwszy gol. Lwowskie początki polskiego futbolu" (First match, first goal. Lviv beginnings of Polish football). The exhibition delves into the pioneering era of football on Polish lands up to Poland's regaining of independence in 1918, with a special emphasis on the sport's history in Lviv, considered the cradle of Polish sport. Lviv was where the first Polish sports organization, Towarzystwo Gimnastyczne „Sokół”, as well as the first academic and football clubs, and Polish scouting, originated.
The exhibition details the legendary first match that took place on July 14, 1894, on the "Sokół" field in Stryjski Park, where Włodzimierz Chomicki scored the first-ever Polish goal. Visitors can also learn about the Lviv clubs Pogoń, Czarni, Lechia, and Hasmonea, the organizations that united them, the competitions preceding the Polish championships, and the individuals who contributed to the birth and development of Polish football over a century ago. The exhibition is illustrated with 25 large-format photographs from the museum's collection, supplemented by rare material artifacts from that period.