Nestory Irankunda had just scored the goal that made him the youngest ever World Cup goalscorer for Australia. The 20-year-old Watford forward wheeled away in celebration, replicating the iconic corner-flag punch of Tim Cahill, the man whose record he had just broken. 'It is unreal and a dream come true,' Irankunda said after the 2-0 win over Turkey in Vancouver. But the goal was merely the latest chapter in a story that began in a Tanzanian refugee camp.
Irankunda was born in that camp in 2006 to Burundian parents who had fled civil war. Still a young child, he moved with his family to Australia, where he found football. He rose through the ranks at A-League side Adelaide United, scoring 16 goals and providing eight assists for the senior team. That form earned him a move to Bayern Munich in 2024, a transfer that would test his patience.
“Nestory Irankunda, born in a refugee camp, became Australia's youngest World Cup scorer after quitting Bayern Munich for Watford.”
Despite training alongside England striker Harry Kane at the Bundesliga giants, Irankunda never made a first-team appearance. With the 2026 World Cup looming, he needed minutes. A loan spell at Swiss club Grasshopper last season was followed by a difficult decision in the summer: leave Bayern for Watford in an undisclosed deal or risk his place in the Australia squad, from which he had already fallen. 'It was a hard decision but obviously my biggest goal for me is to play at the World Cup,' Irankunda told Sky Sports. 'The 2026 World Cup is around the corner and I have to play minutes, I wasn't playing minutes. It has always been a dream of mine to play in England.'
The move to the Championship side paid off. Irankunda earned his place in the Socceroos squad and, after making his debut in a World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in June 2024 and becoming Australia's second-youngest scorer against Palestine in his second appearance, he wrote his name into the history books against Turkey. His team-mate Mohamed Toure has called him 'Houdini', adding: 'I've seen a lot of good players but sometimes you have a special talent and he's that. If he puts in the work and stays grounded I think he'll go beyond the potential many people already say he has. He'll surpass that.'
Irankunda's journey from a refugee camp to the World Cup stage is complete. The question now is how far he can take Australia in the tournament.