The Austrian Football Association (AFA) announced on its official website on Wednesday that PSV Eindhoven's and Borussia Dortmund's wonderkids Paul Wanner and Carney Chukwuemeka have been officially naturalized as Austrian international players.

According to the AFA's official statement, Wanner and Chukwuemeka's naturalization procedures and application documents were approved by FIFA last week, and the two will be called up to the national team squad for the first time in March.

Sky Sports Germany added that Austrian national team head coach Ralf Rangnick has been relentlessly persuading the two to be naturalized since 2024.

During the process, both Wanner and Chukwuemeka were reluctant to agree to naturalization due to various factors, but ultimately, after Rangnick assured them that they had a strong chance of being included in the final squad for this summer's FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, they agreed to the naturalization offer.

It is worth mentioning that both players were actually born in Austria. However, since they immigrated to Germany (Wanner) and England (Chukwuemeka) respectively at a young age, and have decided to represent their respective countries in U21s competitions, according to FIFA regulations, they must submit applications and complete procedures before they can be naturalized as Austrian internationals.

The Austrian national team will face Ghana (March 27) and South Korea (March 30) at home in Vienna, the capital of Austria, at the end of this month. Both Wanner and Chukuemeka are expected to make their senior national team debuts.

About Carney Chukwuemeka

The 22-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka was born on October 20, 2003, in Vienna, the capital of Austria. He is 1.85 meters tall, primarily plays as an attacking midfielder, but can also play as a left winger. He holds Austrian, British, and Nigerian citizenship.

Chukwuemeka previously played for Chelsea and Aston Villa. He joined Borussia Dortmund on-loan on the final day of the 2025 winter transfer window, with his ownership being permanently purchased in August of the same year.

Since becoming a member of BVB, Chukwuemeka has made 48 appearances for the Bundesliga giants in all competitions, scoring 4 goals and providing 2 assists.

About Paul Wanner

The 20-year-old Paul Wanner was born on December 23, 2005, in Dornbirn, Austria. He is 1.85 meters tall and primarily plays as an attacking midfielder but can also play as a right winger. He holds dual Austrian and German citizenship. His father, Klaus, and cousin, Jannik, were both professional footballers.

Wanner joined Bayern Munich's youth academy at a young age and began playing for their first team in 2022. He also had loan spells with lower-league clubs Elversberg and Heidenheim.

In August 2025, Wanner joined PSV Eindhoven for €15 million.

Since becoming a member of the Lampen, Wanner has made 27 appearances for the reigning Eredivisie champions in all competitions, scoring 4 goals and providing 3 assists.

Image source: Internet / Sky Sports Germany