Lukas Podolski
His friend set him up with the love of his life
Lukas Podolski and his wife Monika have been married since 2011.
© Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images
Lukas Podolski keeps his private life under wraps. Now he is making an exception and revealing how he met his current wife.
This friend said to him at the time: “Listen, there’s someone who comes from Poland who lives in the same town as you. You have to get to know her.” Podolski was born in Gliwice and only moved to Germany in 1987. He grew up there near Cologne and joined 1. FC Köln as a young player when he was just ten years old. He was actually not interested in a relationship during his early years as a professional, but a meeting took place at the behest of his friend: “And since that day I have been with my current wife.”
Lukas Podolski keeps his family out of the public eye
Their first son Louis was born in 2008, followed by two daughters in 2016 (Maya) and 2023 (Ella). Podolski has kept his private life out of the public eye since the beginning of his career. There are only rare appearances with his wife on red carpets or corresponding Instagram posts. However, in May 2023, Poldi made an exception: Standing in front of the mirror, he grinned into the cell phone camera while holding his youngest daughter, who had been born just a few weeks earlier. He wrote: “The reason why it’s important to give your all every day.”
The 2014 world champion never lost contact with his Polish homeland, even during the highlights of his career. Podolski played, among others, for global clubs such as FC Bayern Munich, FC Arsenal and Inter Milan. He has been lacing up his shoes for the small Polish club Górnik Zabrze since 2021. The now 38-year-old extended his contract early last spring until June 2025.