Just a few years ago, football in Lublin seemed like a second-tier sport. Today, the situation is entirely different. Crowds of supporters are flocking to the stadium, stands are filling up week after week, and talk of expanding the venue is becoming more and more frequent.

Lublin’s football awakening

Not long ago, the idea of Lublin as one of the football hubs of eastern Poland seemed far-fetched. The city had the infrastructure – a modern 15,500-seat Motor Lublin Arena opened in 2014 – but lacked the most important ingredient: a team capable of drawing fans. Motor Lublin, once a top-flight club 40 years ago, had spent years languishing in the lower divisions, almost completely off the national media radar. The stadium remained largely empty, with an average attendance of just 1,500 to 2,000 spectators per match.

But what was best for the club had been quietly taking root year after year. In today’s digital world, speed is everything, and the best solutions are always within reach. Aggregators like Odds88 offer sports odds API services across 110+ sports and over 4,000 events per day.

For the first decade of Motor Lublin Arena's existence, attendance figures remained low. Everything changed during the 2023/24 season, when Motor Lublin pulled off a surprise promotion to the second division. Fans began showing up in large numbers – instead of 2,000 spectators, over 8,000 were attending. Strong performances on the pitch, backed by incredible support from the stands, carried the club all the way to the playoffs. That’s where a new attendance record was set – 15,110 fans for the Lublin regional derby. To the surprise of many, Motor earned promotion to the first tier of Polish football, and the interest surrounding the club grew week by week. What happened next exceeded all expectations.

© Bartosz Makowski / Estudio Lamela

Motor in Ekstraklasa – the best era in club history?

The answer is simple: absolutely yes! From the very first match of the season, it was clear just how hungry Lublin was for top-level football. An impressive pre-match display, 95% of seats filled, and an electric atmosphere. While Motor still couldn't quite match the league’s powerhouses on the pitch, the fans never stopped believing. The lowest attendance during that period? Nearly 11,000 – and just two years earlier, only 3,000 people had shown up for games.

True euphoria arrived mid-season. Six games without losing, battling at the top of the table, and fans who braved even the harshest winter weather. By early 2025, the lowest attendance had climbed past 12,000 – and then came the real stampede. Motor sold out three consecutive home games! Big names like Legia and Lech? No surprise. 15,200 twice. But what caught everyone off guard was a full house even against a lesser-known opponent. All signs point to the streak continuing – Motor is now close to a fourth straight sell-out.

The club’s owner, Zbigniew Jakubas, told Meczyki.pl that the 15,000-seat stadium is no longer sufficient. In his view, a city like Lublin deserves a venue with at least 25,000 seats. Would he have said the same if crowds hadn't soared? Hard to say – but today, it’s clear that Motor Lublin Arena is starting to feel too small.

© Jakub Ducki

Haaland, Zorya, and… “Forever Young”?

In 2019, Lublin hosted matches during the U-20 World Cup, where Poland’s national team advanced from the group stage in third place, only to fall 0–1 to Italy in the round of 16. While the tournament was ultimately won by Ukraine, the group stage was lit up by a certain young Norwegian. Unknown at the time, RB Salzburg striker Erling Braut Haaland put on an absolute clinic in Lublin. In Norway’s 12–0 win over Honduras, he scored… nine goals. One wonders how many of the 5,646 fans in attendance realized they were watching a future megastar now worth over €170 million.

During the 2023/24 season, up until December, Lublin’s stadium also hosted Zorya Luhansk’s home games in the UEFA Europa Conference League. Despite high-profile opponents, the matches failed to draw crowds – the lowest attendance was around 500.

But the Lublin Arena isn’t just about football. The venue is also equipped to host cultural events – fairs, exhibitions, and concerts. It has welcomed artists from across the Polish and European music scene, and tickets have often sold out in the blink of an eye. Acts to grace the stage have included Perfect, Alphaville – of Forever Young fame – and Spanish singer Álvaro Soler.