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By Chris McKenna. Un journaliste sportif de la BBC. 63 hours earlier. Nestory Irankunda may have etched his name into Australian football history, but the young forward was already carving out an extraordinary tale of his own. The 20-year-old Watford player became the Socceroos’ youngest-ever World Cup goalscorer when he opened the scoring in their 2-0 victory over Turkey in Vancouver. “It is unreal and a dream come true,” Irankunda said moments after the final whistle. Yet it is merely the latest chapter in an remarkable journey for the former refugee who, only a year ago, was learning from Harry Kane at Bayern Munich. Born in a Tanzanian refugee camp in 2006 to Burundian parents who had fled civil war, Irankunda was just a small child when his family settled in the country he now represents on football’s greatest stage. He discovered the game in Australia and rose through the ranks at Adelaide United in the A-League. After scoring 16 goals and providing eight assists for the senior team, he made a eye-catching move to Bayern in 2024. A bold decision to leave Bayern. Although he never played for the first team in Germany, he spent a lot of time training alongside some of the world’s top players, including England’s Harry Kane. However, his lack of match time put his dream at risk. He was set to represent Australia at this World Cup. Having made his debut in a World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in June 2024, he became the second-youngest goalscorer in the country’s history after finding the net against Palestine on just his second appearance. Following a loan spell at Swiss club Grasshopper last season, he faced a big decision in the summer. It wasn’t an easy choice to leave Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and join Watford for an undisclosed fee, but he needed regular playing time if he was to earn a place in the Australian squad after falling out of contention. “It was a hard decision but obviously my biggest goal for me is to play at the World Cup,” Irankunda told Sky Sports last summer. “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.” Mohamed Toure has nicknamed him ‘Houdini’ and believes Irankunda could have the same transformative effect on Australian football as Jude Bellingham has had on England. “I’ve seen a lot of good players, but sometimes you come across a special talent — and he’s one of them,” Toure added. If he puts in the effort and remains humble, I believe he’ll exceed the already high expectations many have for him.

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