The greatest showman: Nestory Irankunda is ready for the spotlight

NESTORY IRANKUNDA might make you feel old. That’s because when the Socceroos were in the midst of their history-making run to the Round of 16 at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, he was just a few months old.

The topic of that 2006 tournament, which is fixed in the mind of many Australians as a seminal moment in our footballing history, comes up during a chat at the Ultra Football apparel store in the Sydney suburb of Alexandria. The Socceroos ‘home’ kit for the 2026 tournament is inspired by the one worn by the 2006 squad. So, naturally, I thought it reasonable to ask if the Nike athlete has any fond memories of that tournament. He’s quick to remind me that he was born only four months before it started. So, no, he doesn’t.

At the age of 20, Irankunda may not have witnessed the achievements of Australia’s previous golden generation, but he’s being touted as the most promising figure in the next one. When he meets with Esquire, it’s March, and he’s been given a brief reprieve from the slog that is the 46-game English Championship season to play a pair of friendlies for the Socceroos. “Honestly, I’m excited that the season’s coming to an end,” he says, with the slightest tinge of an English accent – as sure a sign as any that he’s been spending too much time away from home. “There are so many games, it’s good to finally get a little bit of time to relax and recover.”

But that respite would be short-lived. After scoring a brace in Australia’s match against Curaçao, Irankunda would journey back to England for Watford’s final seven games. With that out of the way, he now faces an even bigger challenge: carrying Australia’s hopes on the world’s biggest stage.

Irankunda is the most game-breaking player Australia has produced in some time, perhaps ever. Certainly, Australia has never had a player with the same dead-ball ability – half of his goals for Watford this season came from free kicks. He has the speed and technical skill to split defences wide open, and the finishing power to send a shot past a keeper before they’ve had time to react. For the Socceroos, he averages a (frankly ridiculous) 2.69 goals per 90 minutes – a stat that is albeit inflated by the fact that he’s often utilised as a supersub, coming on late in games to take advantage of tired defenders. But it’s impressive, nonetheless.

Coinciding with his ascension to the national team, the Socceroos have come into their strongest run of form in more than a decade. In 2024, they climbed to 23rd in the world rankings, a position they hadn’t occupied since 2012, and have maintained a spot in the top 30 ever since. The makeup of the squad has changed dramatically over the last few years. Of the 26 players from the celebrated group that made it to the Round of 16 at the last World Cup, only 10 will return for the 2026 World Cup. The majority have been replaced by a new crop of youngsters who, led by Irankunda, look poised to take the national team to new heights.

The similarities between the Socceroos of 2026 and 2006 extend beyond their kits. The ’06 version was drawn in a group with defending champions Brazil, as well as the higher-ranked Croatia and Japan. Nonetheless, Australia made it out of the group and pushed eventual champions Italy all the way to the final whistle. For this year’s event, the World Cup has been given its biggest shake-up in history, with the tournament now comprising 48 teams split into 12 groups (as opposed to 32 teams into eight groups). This should, in theory, give Australia a better chance of progressing to the knockout stages, given the presence of several nations ranked lower than them and the possibility of third-placed teams advancing out of the group stage. But not everyone sees it that way. At time of writing, the bookies have Australia as the rank outsiders of their group, which also includes Paraguay, Türkiye and hosts USA.

But Australian sports teams have always relished underdog status, and the Socceroos are no exception. The campaign that revealed the team’s World Cup kit featured the tagline ‘Mission to Wreck’, overlaid on computergenerated footage of Irankunda driving a bulldozer across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The message is clear: this team isn’t going to roll over. “I feel like a lot of people are underestimating us, and I don’t think they should,” Irankunda says. “We’ve got a strong team, great players; there’s a lot of talent here. We can do more than just compete. We can really do some damage. And no matter who we have in our group or who we play, we’re going to give it 100 per cent.”

Irankunda finishes his declaration with a phrase that surprises me: “More than anything, we’re committed. You’ve got to be willing to die for the badge, and I would die for the badge.” Those are strong words from someone who, less than two years ago, flirted with switching to another nation.

In May 2024, after playing in the A-League All Stars’ 8-0 thrashing of English Premier League side Newcastle United, Irankunda was asked whether he thought he would soon become a regular member of the Socceroos’ squad. His response likely made a few big wigs at Football Australia shudder. “I haven’t been called up for a few of the squads now. I’m still thinking on what I’m gonna do in the future, national level. So, we’ll see. I’m still eligible for Tanzania. Burundi, as well.”

In recent times, the Socceroos have struggled to retain young talent eligible for other nations. Cristian Volpato, Nectarios Triantis and Adrian Segečić, who were all born here, represented Australia at youth level and were expected to become key players for the Socceroos, have declared for Italy, Greece and Croatia, respectively. Although, Volpato sensationally switched his allegiance back to Australia just over a week out from the 2026 World Cup.

Irankunda’s case is different. He was born not in Australia but in Tanzania to Burundian refugee parents. He came Down Under at three months old and has no memory of life in Africa. What he does remember is watching his older brothers playing football in their Adelaide backyard. “I remember watching them kick the ball around,” he says. “That turned into me wanting to be more like my older brothers and wanting to play as well.”

He’s not willing to tell me whether he ever really intended to declare for Burundi or Tanzania or was simply wielding the threat as leverage to gain selection for the Socceroos, but it’s clear that Irankunda has always considered Australia his home.

Those backyard games would evolve into something more serious. Irankunda played his junior football with several Adelaide teams, including the Northern Wolves, Parafield Gardens and Adelaide Croatia Raiders, and was eventually scouted by Adelaide United’s youth director and brought into the side’s development system. There was buzz about him from early on, and at 15, he made his A-League debut for Adelaide, becoming the sixth-youngest player in A-League history. Three weeks later, he scored his first A-League goal, from a free kick, becoming the second-youngest goal scorer in the competition’s history.

Over the next few years, Irankunda established himself as the A-League’s brightest young star. In November 2023, German giants Bayern Munich signed him for what was reported to be a record fee for an A-League player. After a series of stints with Bayern’s reserves and a spell in Switzerland, impressing everywhere he went, English side Watford signed him to a five-year contract. He’s now rumoured to be on the radar of several Premier League teams.

Moving to Europe at the age of 18 was never going to be easy, but it has become the norm for young Australian footballers seeking opportunities to advance their careers. Irankunda admits that spending so much time away from home has been difficult, but it has also opened him up to European tastes, specifically in the style department. “I’m usually just a tracksuit guy, but recently I’ve been putting on what I would say are decent ’fits,” he says. “I’ve been doing some shopping, been looking around to try something different.” Is there anything in particular he’s added to his wardrobe? “I’ve been loving my leather jackets lately. I have a lot of them,” says Irankunda. “I’m really just an all-black guy, so all-black [Nike] Air Max 95s are definitely my style, too.”

The move to Europe has also brought greater exposure – and more visible representation. African Australians make up an increasing percentage of the population, but until recently, much of the Socceroos squad had come from European backgrounds. That’s changing. In addition to Irankunda, Mo Touré, Awer Mabil, Thomas Deng, Jason Geria, Garang Kuol, Lucas Herrington, Kusini Yengi, Tete Yengi and Keanu Baccus are all of African descent and all feature regularly in the national team.

The increased visibility is something Irankunda hopes will inspire kids who, like he once did, dream of donning the green and gold. “I feel like a lot of young kids look up to us, in the same way that I looked up to the likes of Awer Mabil,” he says. “I hope they look up to me as a positive role model.”

While Irankunda hopes the next generation will achieve similar feats, it would be difficult to replicate his flair. The winger has a reputation as an entertainer, both before he scores goals and after them. Following his most recent goal for the Socceroos, against Curaçao, he launched into a backflip before pulling out a glove and mimicking a Michael Jackson dance routine.

Some would say it’s over the top, but it’s become part of the Irankunda experience. In just his fourth game with Watford, he scored a long-range stunner from a free kick. A week later, he did the exact same thing. Both times he followed up his goal with a backflip, which has become his trademark celebration. Although it’s a sight to behold, it does take it out of him. “Honestly, yeah, it does make me a bit gassed,” he admits. “That’s why recently I’ve switched it up a bit and I don’t do them as often.”

Were he to score a screamer at the World Cup, however, he assures me that he’d go all-out to celebrate. “Hopefully at the World Cup I’ll be doing a few,” he says. “I mean, if I score a banger, I would have to pull out something special.”

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