The top scorer in Germany's qualifying group, yet Podolski has become so frustrated at club level in the last 12 months he could well be on the move soon.
Eight goals in nine qualifiers - including four against San Marino in September 2006 - meant he outscored his nearest Group D rivals by two, yet his first Bundesliga goal of the season only came at the end of March.
With Germany team-mate - and fellow Polish-born frontman - Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni the preferred starting strikers at Bayern Munich, Podolski has admitted: "I will think about things at the end of the season. I want to do the thing that I have fun doing and the thing that I'm paid to do - playing football!"
He will certainly get the chance to do that this summer - at his third major tournament - having been one of Joachim Low's mainstays during qualifying.
Germany's third-youngest debutant when he lined up against Hungary in 2004 while at Cologne, he scored four times at the 2005 Confederations Cup and only one less at the 2006 World Cup, by which time he had joined Bayern.
A precocious talent, his terrific vision, lightning pace and killer instinct in front of goal make him a huge threat who would attract attention from around Europe should he decide his future lies away from the Allianz Arena.

Germany