{{Short description|Maltese footballer (born 2001)}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Paul Mbong | image = | image_size = | caption = | full_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|2001|09|02}} | birth_place = Marsaskala, Malta | height = 1.75m<ref>{{cite news|url=https://fkcukaricki.co.rs/88-paul-mbong/|title=88 Paul Mbong|website=fkcukaricki.co.rs|accessdate=7 August 2025|language=sr}}</ref> | position = Right winger | currentclub = Florianabr/>(on loan from Čukarički) | clubnumber = 88 | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Hibernians | youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Birkirkara | years1 = 2019–2025 | clubs1 = Birkirkara | caps1 = 135 | goals1 = 13 | years2 = 2025– | clubs2 = Čukarički | caps2 = 5 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2026– | clubs3 = → Floriana (loan) | caps3 = 12 | goals3 = 1 | nationalyears1 = 2017 | nationalteam1 = Malta U17 | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 2018–2019 | nationalteam2 = Malta U19 | nationalcaps2 = 9 | nationalgoals2 = 1 | nationalyears3 = 2019–2022 | nationalteam3 = Malta U21 | nationalcaps3 = 4 | nationalgoals3 = 0 | nationalyears4 = 2020– | nationalteam4 = Malta | nationalcaps4 = 39 | nationalgoals4 = 4 | club-update = 7 May 2026 | nationalteam-update = 17:20, 31 March 2026 (UTC) }}
'''Paul Mbong''' (born 2 September 2001) is a Maltese professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Floriana, on loan from Serbian SuperLiga club Čukarički and the Malta national team.<ref name="soccerway">{{Soccerway|518872}}</ref>
==Club career== Mbong started his youth career with Hibernians, before joining Birkirkara in 2016. He made his senior team debut on 8 March 2019 in a 2–0 league win against Tarxien Rainbows.<ref name="clubdeb">{{cite web|title=Tarxien Rainbows vs. Birkirkara - 8 March 2019|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2019/03/08/malta/premier-league/tarxien-rainbows-fc/birkirkara-fc/2881709/|accessdate=4 September 2020}}</ref> He scored his first goal on 16 February 2020 in a 4–1 league win against Valletta.<ref name="fgoal">{{cite web|title=Valletta vs. Birkirkara - 16 February 2020|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2020/02/16/malta/premier-league/valletta-fc/birkirkara-fc/3169649/|accessdate=4 September 2020}}</ref>
==International career== Mbong made his senior team debut on 3 September 2020 in a 3–2 UEFA Nations League defeat against Faroe Islands.<ref name="intdebut">{{cite web|title=Faroe Islands vs. Malta - 3 September 2020|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2020/09/03/europe/uefa-nations-league/faroe-islands/malta/3243459/|accessdate=3 September 2020}}</ref>
==Personal life== Mbong is of Nigerian descent. His father Essien Mbong was also a footballer and spent most of his career with Hibernians. He is the younger brother of fellow Maltese international Joseph Mbong and Siggiewi F.C forward Emmanuel Mbong.<ref name="family1">{{cite web|title=100th MPL appearance for Joseph Mbong|url=https://www.hiberniansfc.mt/100th-mpl-appearance-for-joseph-mbong/|accessdate=3 September 2020}}</ref><ref name="family2">{{cite web|title=Emmanuel Mbong, Middle Son Of Hibernians Football Legend Papa, Signs To Kalkara FC|url=https://lovinmalta.com/news/news-human-interest/emmanuel-mbong-middle-son-of-hibernians-football-legend-papa-signs-to-kalkara-fc/|accessdate=3 September 2020}}</ref>
==Honours== '''Birkirkara''' * Maltese FA Trophy: 2022–23
==Career statistics== ===International=== {{updated|match played 31 March 2026}}<ref name="soccerway" /> {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year |- !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan=7|Malta |2020||4||0 |- |2021||8||0 |- |2022||2||0 |- |2023||6||1 |- |2024||10||1 |- |2025||7||2 |- |2026||2||0 |- !colspan=2|Total!!39!!4 |}
:''Scores and results list Malta's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mbong goal.'' {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ List of international goals scored by Paul Mbong |- !scope="col"|No. !scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition |- | align="center"|1 || 17 October 2023 || National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta || {{fb|UKR}} || align="center"|1–0 || align="center"|1–3 || UEFA Euro 2024 qualification |- | align="center"|2 || 7 June 2024 || Untersberg-Arena, Grödig, Austria || {{fb|CZE}} || align="center"|1–4 || align="center"|1–7 || Friendly |- | align="center"|3 || 9 September 2025 || National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta || {{fb|SMR}} || align="center"|3–0 || align="center"|3–1 || Friendly |- | align="center"|4 || 12 October 2025 || National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta || {{fb|BIH}} || align="center"|1–2 || align="center"|1–4 || Friendly |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.birkirkarafc.com/player.php?id=352] at birkirkarafc.com
{{FK Čukarički squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mbong, Paul}} Category:2001 births Category:Living people Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Maltese men's footballers Category:21st-century Maltese sportsmen Category:Malta men's youth international footballers Category:Malta men's under-21 international footballers Category:Malta men's international footballers Category:Maltese Premier League players Category:Serbian SuperLiga players Category:Maltese expatriate sportspeople in Serbia Category:Birkirkara F.C. players Category:FK Čukarički players Category:Floriana F.C. players Category:Maltese people of Nigerian descent Category:People from Marsaskala Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Serbia {{Malta-footy-bio-stub}}