Nestory Irankunda

Nestory "Nestor" Irankunda (born 9 February 2006) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Regionalliga Bayern club Bayern Munich II and the Australia national team.

Born in Kigoma, Tanzania, Irankunda played youth football in Adelaide for Adelaide Croatia Raiders before moving to Adelaide United in 2021. He started his professional career when he signed a scholarship contract in September 2021, followed by his league debut in January 2022, becoming the sixth youngest debutant in A-League history at the time. He scored his first league goal the same year, becoming the second youngest goalscorer in the competition. In March 2024, he scored his first hat-trick, becoming the second youngest to do so in Australia men's history. Irankunda joined Bayern Munich in June 2024 for an undisclosed fee, presumably, breaking the A-League transfer record.

Eligible to represent Tanzania, Burundi and Australia, Irankunda has opted to represent Australia. At youth level, he helped lead the Australia U17 squad to qualification for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup. After his first call-up for the seniors in March 2023 and debut in June 2024, Irankunda became the second youngest Australian to score for his nation in a FIFA World Cup qualification (2026) match.

Early life
Nestory Irankunda was born on 9 February 2006 in Kigoma, Tanzania, the third eldest child with two older brothers and five younger sisters to Gideon, a rideshare driver, and his wife, Dafroza. His parents were originally from Burundi, but fled their home due to the civil war escalating at the time. His father led his family to a refugee camp in Tanzania where Nestory was born. They soon moved to Perth in Western Australia, when Irankunda was three months old, before moving to the northern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia in 2013. Irankunda grew up in a Christian home, and found his love of football whilst playing with his older brothers in the yard of his home. At the age of eight, Irankunda played for his first football club at Parafield Gardens after being spotted by the under-10s coach of the local club.

During his junior years in Australian football, he played with Northern Wolves and Parafield Gardens before being scouted and signed by National Premier Leagues (NPL) side Adelaide Croatia Raiders. During his time in the youth levels for the Raiders, he caught the attention of many scouts in the area including Airton Andrioli, the head of youth for A-League side Adelaide United, who eventually invited him to trial for the youth squad before offering a permanent spot after a couple of weeks. When asked about Irankunda in an interview in 2023, Andrioli stated, "When you see a boy like Nestory, some players have that naturally. That gift of understanding and reading the game. Being street smart. You don’t see that a lot in Australian players. That's why Nestory from the start had that kind of thing."

2021–22: Development
In his first year for Adelaide United, Irankunda initially played with the reserves, and after a couple of weeks, started featuring for Adelaide United NPL side. Despite being 15 at the time, he accumulated 26 appearances and 12 goals in total for both the senior and reserve squad for the Reds. On 27 September 2021, Irankunda signed a scholarship contract (his first professional contract) with Adelaide United. On 8 January 2022, at the age of 15 years and 333 days, Irankunda became the sixth youngest player in A-League history and the third youngest debutant at the time for Adelaide United when he made his debut against rivals Melbourne Victory, drawing 1–1 at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.

On 30 January, Irakunda scored his first league goal, a free kick in stoppage time to win the game 2–1 against Newcastle Jets. His goal made him the second youngest goalscorer in the league at the age of 15 years and 355 days after Mohamed Toure who scored at the age of 15 years and 325 days. He scored his second league goal, coming off the bench to score the winner in a 2–1 home win over Central Coast Mariners on 27 February. On 24 April, he increased his goalscoring tally to three after he scored a stoppage time goal and helped his side secure a 2–0 win against Perth Glory. His brief cameo won him the Tomas Dale Medal for his sporting manner in the club. On 26 May, Irankunda was selected in the A-Leagues All Stars squad, alongside teammates Isaías Sánchez and Alexandar Popovic, to face Spanish giants Barcelona.

2022–23: Breakthrough season
In November 2022, Irankunda would miss the first Original Rivalry match of the 2022–23 season after facing a month suspension from the club for turning up late to several team meetings, and avoiding "chores" associated to being one of the club’s younger players. Irankunda scored his first goal of the season, the winning goal of a 2–1 home win against Brisbane Roar on 4 February 2023. His goal received praise from manager Carl Veart who stated, "This is the talent that Nestor has." Irankunda dedicated the goal to Spanish teammate and friend Juande, who broke his leg in a 3–3 draw with Melbourne City a week earlier. Irankunda furthered his reputation as a key player off the bench after scoring in three consecutive appearances for Adelaide United in the matches against Melbourne Victory (1–1), Melbourne City (4–2), and Newcastle Jets (4–2). He was awarded A-League Goal of the Month in February for his goal against Melbourne Victory.

Irankunda was further criticised by media for his disciplines issues when he started a brawl in the match against Western Sydney Wanderers that led Wanderers' captain Marcelo getting sent-off for headlocking Irankunda after he provoked Calem Nieuwenhof. Another incident occurred on 23 April against Perth Glory when Irankunda received a booking for kicking the broadcaster’s pitchside microphone. In the same match against Perth, Irankunda scored his 5th goal of the season in the 99th-minute of a 4–4 draw at the Perth Rectangular Stadium. The goal brought his A-League career total to eight goals which surpassed Mohamed Toure's record as the competition’s highest under-18 goalscorer. Irankunda was awarded the club's Rising Star accolade on 2 May. Irankunda would feature off the bench in United's final game of the season on 20 May where his side lost 2–0 against the eventual winners Central Coast Mariners at Central Coast Stadium.

2023–24: Final season with Adelaide United
During Adelaide's 2023–24 pre-season, Irankunda returned to Adelaide United Youth, where he scored the winner in the Young Reds' 4–3 elimination final victory against Adelaide Comets in August 2023. In the final minutes of the semi-final against Campbeltown City, Irankunda collapsed to the ground, having swallowed his tongue after hitting his head whilst attempting to make a pass. Dr Christian Verdicchio, who was one of the match officials present, promptly aided him to ensure he would be able to breathe. Irankunda was soon taken off the field and monitored before reporting to training the following day. As cautioned by the doctor, he missed the Round of 16 clash against Western Sydney Wanderers at Marconi Stadium, and subsequently, the semi final second leg against Campbelltown. Prior to his injury, Irankunda made one appearance for the first-team in the 2023 Australia Cup. After 35 substitute appearances, Irankunda made his starting debut for Adelaide United on 20 October in a 3–0 victory over Central Coast Mariners at home. During the match, he reached a maximum speed of 37.02 km/h, setting a new team record for fastest sprint in a match; only Kyle Walker from the previous season of the Premier League exceeded that speed, reaching a max 37.31 km/h.

Irankunda scored his first goal as a starter (and for the season) on 29 October from a free-kick in a 6–0 victory over Melbourne City at Coopers Stadium. On 4 November, Irankunda was sent off in an Original Rivalry match against Melbourne Victory after receiving two bookings. Seconds before full-time, he reacted with frustration to a challenge from Chris Ikonomidis, resulting in him receiving his second yellow card for dissent against referee Alex King. He missed the following league game against Sydney FC as a result. He was later awarded the October nomination for Young Footballer of the Year for his preceding performances. After the announcement of his move to Bayern, Irankunda returned from suspension on 26 November against Western United, managing one assist to Ben Halloran in a 3–1 win at Eureka Stadium, and later accumulating two assists in his next three league matches. Irankunda was dropped to the bench against Western Sydney Wanderers on 15 December, coming on after half-time in the Red's 3–0 away loss and third successive defeat for the first time in two years.

Irankunda eventually returned to the starting line-up after two further substitute appearances on 4 January 2024, being named against Wellington Phoenix at home. Irankunda contributed towards Adelaide's two goals, including an assist to Hiroshi Ibusuki, in a 2–2 draw by full-time. In particular, Ibusuki acted as a mentor for Irankunda, forming a partnership which saw them both score against Sydney FC in a 4–3 victory at Allianz Stadium on 14 January; Irankunda scored once and his second of the season, assisted by Ibusuki who scored a hat-trick. On 9 February, Irankunda made his 50th league appearance off the bench in a 3–3 draw against Perth Glory at home, becoming the youngest player, aged exactly 18, to reach this milestone and overtaking Liberato Cacace's record of 19 years, 5 months, 10 days old. In the post-match conference, Irankunda was criticised by Veart for not meeting to club standard, adding he hasn't "seen enough happiness from him." On 9 March, Irankunda scored his third goal of the campaign and the equaliser in a 2–1 home defeat to Melbourne Victory.

On 29 March, Irankunda scored his first professional hat-trick (and brace) in a 4–1 home win over Western United. Aged 18 years and 49 days, he became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the A-League Men and the second youngest to do so in Australian men's football history. On 8 April, in the following match, Irankunda provided two assists in a 4–2 comeback win against Perth Glory. He played his last match at home on 12 April, scoring a long-range goal, in a 2–1 defeat to Macarthur FC. He added a goal to his tally in a 3–3 draw against Western United on 16 April. In late-April, Irankunda was announced in the 2024 A-League Men All Stars squad that was set to play against Premier League club Newcastle United. Irankunda played his last match on 1 May for Adelaide United in a 2–0 away lost to Central Coast Mariners, allowing the Mariners to win the premiership title over runners-up Wellington Phoenix on the final matchday. Irankunda departed with 16 goals in 60 league appearance, in total, for Adelaide United. He was named the A-League Men Young Footballer of the Year, jointly with Alex Paulsen, at the end of the season.

Bayern Munich
On 14 November 2023, Adelaide United announced the sale of Irankunda to Bayern Munich for a club-record fee, with the forward set to join the club on 1 July 2024. Fabrizio Romano reported four days prior that Bayern Munich submitted an offer for Irankunda worth £3 million with add-ons, potentially breaking the league transfer record set by Marco Tilio in his move to Celtic. It has also been reported by other outlets that Bayern submitted an initial offer of €750,000 with a final payment potentially rising to over €3 million if agreed conditions are met.

Irankunda arrived at Bayern Campus on 18 June and was deducted to train with Bayern Munich II before preseason began in Waidring on 21 June. He made his non-competitive debut for the reserve team on 6 July and scored his side's only goal in a 2–1 friendly defeat to Austria Lustenau. In mid-July, Irankunda began training with the first-team under manager Vincent Kompany. On 19 July, he made his competitive debut for the reserve team in the Regionalliga Bayern, winning 1–0 against Wacker Burghausen.

Youth
Eligible to represent Burundi, Tanzania, or Australia, Irankunda received his first international call-up in September 2022 from Australia to represent the under-17 side in the 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup qualification matches. He made his debut against the Northern Mariana Islands, netting a hat-trick by the 38th-minute before scoring two more goals to complete a 23–0 win. He scored three more goals in the remaining group games, with one against Cambodia (10–0) and two against China (3–1). Irankunda performances helped Australia in topping the group and qualifying for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup. On 16 May 2023, Irankunda was added to the Australia squad set to play in the 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup hosted in Thailand. On 19 June 2023, in the second round of the group stage, Irankunda scored twice in 18 minutes of a 5–3 win over China. His second goal, a powerful long-range strike, garnered widespread attention on social media due to its audacity and quality. Irankunda scored in Australia's last game as his side were knocked out by Japan following a 3–1 defeat in the knockout stage.

In April 2024, Irankunda was omitted from the Australia national under-23 team that was set to compete in the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, in contention to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Coach Tony Vidmar stated his absence was in concern over his maturity and to prevent further "damage" from pressure. However, after Marco Tilio sustained an injury, Irankunda was offered a spot but declined to play his remaining club fixtures for Adelaide United. Keegan Jelacic was called up instead in place of Tilio. As a result of his last-minute response, and criticism from two A-League clubs, Football Australia conducted an independent review to suspend Irankunda from domestic competitions during the entirety of Australia's campaign according to regulations for declining. However, Irankunda was confirmed to be available for club selection since he was not formally called-up by Vidmar, or held no apparent conversation with Football Australia. At the conclusion of the tournament, it was reported that Irankunda's omission was under review by Football Australia after the Olyroos failed to qualify without scoring a single goal.

Senior
On 14 March 2023, Irankunda received his first international call-up to the Australia squad, being named as a "train on" player for the friendlies against Ecuador. During his time in the squad, he befriended Awer Mabil, who called himself as the "big brother" and helped him settle in with the seniors. He also befriended youngster Garang Kuol who had experienced a similar journey through the A-League. As a result of Riley McGree falling ill during his travel to Sydney, Irankunda was included in the match squad in both matches against Ecuador. Although he could have potentially become the youngest player to appear for the "Socceroos", surpassing Duncan Cummings' record, he did not feature in either match.

In November 2023, the Burundi Football Association announced their interest in Irankunda to represent their national team. In May 2024, Irankunda stated, that despite pursuing a debut with Australia, he would consider playing for either Burundi or Tanzania if Graham Arnold continues to exclude him in future tournaments. On 29 May, days after his comments, Irankunda was called-up to the Australian national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualification matches in June against Bangladesh and Palestine. Arnold expressed that he was surprised by Irankunda's consideration to play for other national teams but praised his maturity following his omission in the Olyroos squad. However, after the first training session in Dhaka, Arnold said the issues were "for a headline" and has been resolved.

Irankunda started on his international debut on 6 June, providing an assist in the opening goal to Ajdin Hrustic, in a 2–0 win against Bangladesh. Five days later, Irankunda scored his first goal for the Socceroos from a penalty in a 5–0 victory against Palestine. At the age of 18 years and 123 days, he became the second youngest player to score for Australia.

Style of play
Irankunda is regarded by many within the Australian media as one of the greatest talents developed in the country. His goal-scoring prowess received many plaudits from media and pundits who recognised his skills and techniques, and even compared his free kick goal against Newcastle Jets to that of Cristiano Ronaldo. His ability to draw fouls from opponents, albeit too frequently, led to Carl Veart demanding that referees protect the young prospect more and punish opposing players for tackles that could harm him. In his breakthrough season, Veart's protection of Irankunda led to restriction of minutes on the pitch, having made all of his appearances off the bench, to ensure that the player develops properly.

Deployed on the right wing by Adelaide United manager Carl Veart, Irankunda utilises his pace and dribbling to stretch the field wide and disrupt the opposition's tactics, effectively in the later stages of matches against fatigued opponents. He adeptly takes the ball inside, using his dribbling skills to manoeuvre past opponents to open opportunities to shoot on goal or cross towards the centre. Irankunda is known for his shot power on goal and often opts to shoot rather than pass when inside the goal area. However, after gaining regular playing time in the 2023–24 season, Irankunda played a more creative and mature role which used his pace, dribbling and weaker foot to cut inside and lay off striking opportunities for forwards more frequently. In a 4–3–3 formation, he would rotate between either wing of the field or directly in the centre to create goal-scoring opportunities.

Reception
With his consistent and impressive performances since his breakthrough season, Irankunda has received praise from his teammate Javi López, who compared his development with Argentine footballer Lionel Messi at the age of 17. Many coaches, including international managers, who had witnessed Irankunda play have agreed with this sentiment. Irankunda has also been compared to Alphonso Davies for their similar journey in football; Davies was born in a refugee camp in Ghana before residing in Canada.

Irankunda is recognised as a prominent figure of South Australian football, being named by Messenger Newspapers as "one of the top 20 South Australian athletes to watch in 2023," and listed on 5 January 2024 by The Advertiser as "one of the 24 South Australians to watch in 2024". On 11 October 2023, Irankunda was named as one of the 60 best young talents in world football by The Guardian, being the only Australian listed, among other talents like Endrick, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Paris Brunner, and Simone Pafundi. In March 2024, Irankunda was ranked among the best 50 young talents born after January 2005 in the annual NXGN lists from GOAL. L'Équipe also listed Irankunda in a similar category list of 30 players in June.

As one of the youngest members of Adelaide United's squad at the time, Irankunda was subject to criticism for his "emotional outbursts" and lack of maturity on the football pitch,   which gained attention from his send-off in the match against Melbourne Victory in November 2023. Veart stated that the winger has been working on his frustrations and needs to be able to control his emotions. Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund stated the club were aware of this, adding that due to his young age, "it’s better when the boys are involved with heart and passion." Irankunda would show improvement into the new year and received praise from Veart after displaying calmness and maturity during the later matches of the 2023–24 season, adding that "he's making good strides in that maturity."

Personal life
Irankunda attended Parafield Gardens High School in Parafield Gardens, South Australia, a northern suburb of Adelaide. Despite claiming to do poorly at school, Irankunda stated his favourite subject was English, and enjoyed the Harry Potter books series and film series. He came runners-up in his category in the School Sports Awards in December 2022. Other than his native English, Irankunda can speak German.

Irankunda favoured Spanish club Barcelona and idolised Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué, who influenced him to play centre-back as a child before converting to a more attacking role by his coaches. He modelled his playing style on Lionel Messi for his agility and power. Despite supporting Barcelona, his father's long-time support for Bayern Munich, since his time in Africa, influenced his decision to sign for the German club. In an interview in June 2023, Irankunda expressed his desire to retire with Adelaide United by the end of his career.

During his upbringing, Irankunda's father drove him around to his football games before he was old enough to obtain his driver's license, and his older brothers stopped playing football to help pay for his football fees when he played in NPL. For this reason, he considers his father and brothers as his heroes, as well as his mother and sisters, who took care of him when he was a baby. Irankunda is close friends with Mohamed Toure, who is also a professional footballer. He is described as the "football Houdini" and Australian Jude Bellingham by Toure.

International

 * Scores and results list Australia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Irankunda goal.