Austria naturalise ex-Chelsea star for World Cup clash with Argentina | OneFootball

Ralf Rangnick will be able to count on two footballers born in Austria, but who previously represented two major European national teams.

With 93 days to go before the start of the World Cup in Mexico, the United States, and Canada, the Austrian National Team received important news as coach Ralf Rangnick will be able to count on two new players who have obtained dual nationality and are now eligible.

One of them is Carney Chukwuemeka. Although the forward, who has a history with Chelsea and currently plays for Borussia Dortmund, was born in Austria, he represented the England National Team throughout his youth career, with whom he won the U-19 European Championship.

Chukwuemeka, 22, was never called up by England’s senior team, which is why the Austrian Football Association reached out to the player’s camp to persuade him to become eligible for Rangnick’s team, which will face Argentina in Group J.

Throughout the last season, the player with a past at Chelsea and Aston Villa has played 30 matches for Borussia Dortmund, scoring three goals and providing two assists. This is why he will be an important addition for the Austrian side.

On the other hand, the second naturalized player is Paul Wanner. The Bayern Munich youth product was also born in Austria but up to the U-21 level represented the German National Team, with whom he played five matches in the last European Championship for that age group.

The 20-year-old attacking midfielder decided to stop representing Germany and will now play for Austria. He currently plays for PSV in the Netherlands, where he wears the number 10 jersey, and has played 27 matches, scoring four goals and providing three assists.

When do Argentina and Austria face each other in the World Cup?

The Argentine national team will face the Austrian side in the second match of Group J of the 2026 World Cup. The match is scheduled for Monday, June 22, starting at 2:00 p.m. Argentina time, and will be played at the AT&T Stadium in Texas.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.