Irvin Charly Jose Cardona

Irvin Cardona's international career took an unusual turn in September 2025. Born in Nîmes but eligible for Malta through dual nationality, he made his senior debut for the Maltese national team on 4 September 2025 in a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania. Five days later, in a friendly against San Marino, he scored his first international goal — and was sent off in the 43rd minute after an altercation. He has since added further caps, including a goal against Poland, taking his tally to eight appearances and two goals by March 2026.

Cardona came through the academy at Le Pontet before AS Monaco took him on in 2012. He worked his way through Monaco's reserve side and made his senior debut in 2017, the same year the club won the Ligue 1 title, having already picked up the Gambardella Cup with Monaco's youth team a year earlier.

His move to Stade Brestois in August 2019 gave him a regular platform, and it was there that he produced an acrobatic volley against Dijon in September 2020. A switch to FC Augsburg followed in January 2023, and a loan to Saint-Étienne, then to RCD Espanyol, followed in the subsequent seasons. The Espanyol loan was cut short in January 2025 after limited playing time, sending him back to Saint-Étienne, who made the move permanent by exercising their buy option that June.