Official: Köln complete signing of Australian international | OneFootball

Köln signed their second World Cup player with the arrival of Australian international Paul Okon-Engstler from Sydney FC for only €1 million. The Billy Goats completed the signing of Ghanaian international Gideon Mensah the previous week.

Coming from a footballing family, Okon-Engstler featured in all four Australia games at the 2026 World Cup. The defensive midfielder assisted their first goal of the tournament to ex-Bayern youngster Nestory Irankunda, who is also expected to complete a move to Sporting CP from Watford.

“We are really pleased that Paul (Okon-Engstler) has decided on a move to 1. FC Köln. He is a young player with a lot of potential, and someone who has developed really well in the past few years. With his impressive performances for Sydney FC, he earned a place in the Australian national team and was able to showcase the development path he has been on at the World Cup,” said Köln’s managing director Thomas Kessler.

“FC Köln is a club with a huge history, with incredible fans and stadium. I can’t wait to play there and finally get on the pitch with the team. For me, it’s exactly the right step in my career.” said the 21-year-old in his first interview with the club.

The midfielder signed a deal until 2030 with the Bundesliga club. The Belgium-born player left Australia to join Club Brugge’s academy at the age of 14. After a brief spell with the youth team of Benfica, he returned to Australia to join A-League side Sydney FC in 2025.

His father Paul, who was a former Premier League and Serie A player, was the assistant coach of Australia during the World Cup. Due to flu, the transfer was delayed for a bit until the player completed the medical check.

The midfielder will be expected to join Köln’s training camp in Kitzbühel (Austria) on Friday. The 10-time Australian international is touted to be understudy for either Ellyes Skhiri or Edson Álvarez. Köln received a boost with the return of the Tunisian international as he was released by Eintracht Frankfurt for transfer talks, while there are currently no updates regarding a sensational transfer for the Mexican midfielder.