Nestory Irankunda #17

Profile

Irankunda “couldn’t stop smiling” when he scored his first Socceroos goal in 2024. His young shoulders bear a weight no other Socceroos player can know – unhesitatingly hefted upon him by the Australian media the moment he started finding the back of the net for Adelaide United as a 15-year-old in 2022. The former national coach Graham Arnold sought to shield him from the expectations associated with the label of “most exciting young Australian footballer ever”, but the winger’s confidence and skill with the ball at his feet and his eye for a spectacular goal have made it impossible to dampen the excitement. After a record-breaking move from the A-League to Bayern Munich in late 2024, Irankunda then signed with Watford in July 2025, scoring his first goal a month later from a free-kick outside the area in the very style that earned him the weighty tag to begin with. Tony Popovic has a star in his hands – and his challenge is to help it shine at a World Cup.

Key stats