Mateusz Kowalczyk (footballer)

Mateusz Kowalczyk (born 16 April 2004) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ekstraklasa club GKS Katowice, on loan from Danish Superliga club Brøndby.

ŁKS Łódź
Born in Warsaw and raised in nearby Marki, Kowalczyk began his football journey at the age of six with Ząbkovia Ząbki. Displaying remarkable maturity at a young age, he took his first steps in senior football at the age of 14 with Ząbkovia. His talent quickly attracted the interest of several Polish clubs. Ultimately, in 2021, he chose to sign with ŁKS Łódź. The club's second team competed in the fourth tier, providing Kowalczyk with an opportunity to develop against senior opposition at a higher level. He made his second-team debut on 7 August 2021, starting in a 4–3 victory against Ursus Warsaw.

Kowalczyk made his professional debut for the ŁKS first team on 26 February 2022, coming on as a substitute for Jakub Tosik in the 65th minute during a 1–1 away draw against GKS Jastrzębie in the second-tier I liga. On 8 April 2021, he scored his first professional goal, securing a late winner in the 95th minute of a 3–2 home win over Sandecja Nowy Sącz.

During the 2022–23 season, Kowalczyk played a significant role in ŁKS' promotion to the top-tier Ekstraklasa, scoring six goals in 26 appearances for the Knights of Spring—including a decisive goal that secured the league title on 26 May 2023, against Arka Gdynia.

Brøndby
On 2 August 2023, Kowalczyk signed a four-year contract with Danish Superliga club Brøndby, with the club paying a reported fee of €1.2 million to secure his services. He made his debut for the club on 27 September, replacing Nicolai Vallys in the 68th minute of a 3–0 victory in the Danish Cup over HIK. Four days later, he made his Superliga debut, again coming on as a late substitute for Vallys in a victory against Hvidovre.

Loan to GKS Katowice
On 17 July 2024, Kowalczyk returned to Poland to join newly promoted Ekstraklasa club GKS Katowice on a season-long loan, with an option to make the move permanent.

International career
Kowalczyk has represented Poland at under-18 level. In August 2022, he was called up to by Poland U-19's coach Marcin Brosz for training camp in Reda ahead of the 2023 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifiers against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Estonia and Italy. He scored on his debut for the under-19s, contributing to Poland's 2–0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on 21 September 2022. On 28 August 2023, Kowalczyk received his first call-up for the Poland U-20, and he subsequently gained his first cap for the team on 8 September during a 4–0 home win over Portugal in the Under 20 Elite League.

Style of play
Kowalczyk, a hard-working central midfielder, displayed remarkable maturity on the pitch early on, making his senior football debut at the young age of 14. He describes himself as a player capable of controlling the game's pace, comfortable both in attacking and defensive roles. Despite his average height (1.81 m), he possesses excellent heading abilities. Often referred to as a 'piranha' in midfield, he excels in dispossessing opponents and is adept at playing a Gegenpressing style.

Honours
Ząbkovia Ząbki
 * IV liga Mazovia: 2020–21 (Warsaw group)

ŁKS Łódź
 * I liga: 2022–23