From Refugee Camp To FIFA World Cup History: Australia's Nestory Irankunda Shows How It's Done
Nestory Irankunda blazed past the Turkish defense like a hot knife through butter, before nestling his effort into the bottom corner past Ugurcan Cakir.
Nestory Irankunda blazed past the Turkish defense like a hot knife through butter, before nestling his effort into the bottom corner past Ugurcan Cakir. The goal not only justified the immense hype surrounding the teenager, but also earned him a permanent place in the World Cup history books. Born in a refugee camp in Tanzania after his parents fled civil war in Burundi, the Watford forward is now Australia's youngest-ever scorer at a World Cup - and one of three Socceroos in the squad who began life in a refugee camp.
Growing up in Adelaide, Irankunda quickly emerged as one of the finest footballers in the city. After turning 15, he made his senior debut for his local team, Adelaide United.
A couple of years later, a move to Germany followed with Bayern Munich's second team, where he played 15 games and scored four times. While he never featured for the Bavarians' senior team, his performances with the reserve squad earned him a loan spell in Switzerland with Grasshopper. Despite playing 19 times for the Swiss outfit, he managed to score just one goal for the club. After returning to Munich from his loan spell, Irankunda signed a five-year contract with English Premier League side Watford.
At the international level, his rise was equally rapid. Eligible to play for Tanzania, Burundi, and Australia, Irankunda received his first Socceroos call-up in 2023.
Irankunda's fellow forward Mohamed Toure was born in a camp in Guinea to Liberian parents before his family settled in Adelaide, where the two became close friends. Their teammate Awer Mabil was also born in a refugee camp in Kenya to South Sudanese parents.
Both Toure, who plays for Norwich, and Irankunda are making their World Cup debuts. Mabil, who plays in Spain for Castellón, is making his second World Cup appearance.
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