The internationally sought-after football talent, Paul Wanner, has made a decisive choice about his sporting future. The 19-year-old announced that he will play for the Austrian national team in the future. Wanner, who is currently on loan from FC Bayern Munich to 1. FC Heidenheim, thus ends months of speculation about a possible appearance for the German Football Association (DFB).
Wanner described the decision for the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB) as the most difficult choice of his career so far. The main reasons for this step were the sporting perspective and the goal of standing on the pitch for Austria at the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. Wanner holds both German and Austrian citizenship and could therefore have been eligible to play for both nations.
In the past, the midfielder went through various youth national teams of the DFB but recently hesitated with nominations for the German U21 squad. The German national coach, Julian Nagelsmann, had repeatedly expressed his interest in the talent. Ultimately, however, talks with the Austrian team boss, Ralf Rangnick, were decisive. An early appearance in the ÖFB jersey is expected as soon as the formal processes are completed.
