James Carragher debuted for Malta in World Cup qualifier

James Carragher, the son of former football star Jamie Carragher, made his international debut for Malta last weekend. He played in a World Cup qualifier against Finland, where Malta lost 1-0. This debut was surprising because James was born in England but chose to represent Malta. James qualifies for the Maltese national team through his family. His grandmother and great-grandfather were born in Malta. Recently, both James and his father obtained Maltese citizenship. This citizenship allows them to play for Malta under the rules that enable descendants to represent the country. Malta's football association has been working to recruit players born outside the nation to improve their team. Malta has only about 500,000 people and ranks 168th in FIFA’s standings. They aim to raise their game by including dual citizens like James. Along with him, Ilyas Chouaref made his debut for Malta as well. James has been making strides in his club career at Wigan Athletic. He has been a standout player this season after lending his skills to different clubs on loan in the past. As a central defender, he has played 23 league matches so far this season. Future expectations for him are high, especially with upcoming games where he could face top players like Robert Lewandowski from Poland.