By Daily Sports Nigeria on February 13, 2026

On-loan Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka is reportedly making moves to switch his international allegiance to Austria ahead of the 2026 World Cup, potentially shutting the door on Nigeria, the country of his parents’ origin, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

In February 2025, he was reported to be considering representing Nigeria alongside Lesley Ugochukwu, but an official of the Nigeria Football Federation denied the claims.

According to Sky Germany and Bild, Austria head coach Ralf Rangnick and the Austrian Football Association have renewed their efforts to persuade Chukwuemeka to represent Austria at the senior international level.

This is the second approach by the ÖFB and Rangnick, following an unsuccessful attempt in 2023.

The 22-year-old is eligible to play for Austria, having been born in Vienna, but previously chose to represent England at the youth level, playing a key role in their UEFA Under-19 European Championship triumph in 2022.

Aside from Austria, the midfielder remains eligible to represent Nigeria and England at the senior level. However, breaking into the England senior squad appears increasingly unlikely given the depth of talent available, unless he significantly improves his form.

Austria are scheduled to face Jordan, Argentina and Algeria at the World Cup this summer. Chukwuemeka could also feature in upcoming friendlies against Ghana and South Korea as early as March.

Chukwuemeka was born in Austria to Nigerian parents but grew up in England, where he represented the country across several age-grade teams. He joined Chelsea in 2022 and is currently on loan at Borussia Dortmund.

Source Punch Ng

Posted February 13, 2026

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