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Nestory Irankunda
Irankunda with Australia in 2026
Personal information
Date of birth (2006-02-09) 9 February 2006 (age 20)
Place of birth Kigoma, Tanzania
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[note 1]
Position Winger
Team information
Current team
 Sporting CP
Number 19
Youth career
Northern Wolves
Parafield Gardens
2018–2020 Adelaide Croatia Raiders
2021 Adelaide United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2023 Adelaide United (NPL) 30 (6)
2022–2024 Adelaide United 60 (16)
2024 Bayern Munich II 15 (4)
2024–2025 Bayern Munich 0 (0)
2025 → Grasshopper (loan) 19 (1)
2025–2026 Watford 40 (4)
2026– Sporting CP 5 (0)
International career‡
2022–2023 Australia U17 7 (11)
2024– Australia 20 (7)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 28 August 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 25 September 2026

Nestory Irankunda (/nɛstəriː ɪrəŋkʊndɑ/ NEST-ər-EE ir-əng-KUN-da; Kirundi: [iɾaŋkunda]; born 9 February 2006) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Primeira Liga club Sporting CP. Born in Tanzania to Burundian parents, he plays for the Australia national team. Known for his explosive pace and shot power, he is considered one of the greatest talents developed in Australia.

Raised in Adelaide, Irankunda played for various youth clubs in Australia before beginning his professional career at Adelaide United in the A-League. He broke numerous club and league records during his time at the club, being named the joint-2023–24 A-League Young Footballer of the Year with Alex Paulsen. In July 2024, Irankunda joined Bundesliga club Bayern Munich breaking the A-League transfer record, but would only feature in the club's reserve team for one season and went on loan to Swiss Super League club Grasshopper. The following two seasons, he moved to EFL Championship side Watford in July 2025 and Sporting CP in the Primeira Liga after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Irankunda featured for Australia in only the senior and under-17 teams. He earned call-ups to the under-20 and under-23 sides but didn't feature for either sides due to controversy and injuries. Irankunda is the youngest player to score in a World Cup for Australia, doing so in their opening group match of the 2026 World Cup, and the second youngest-ever to score for the national team in history.

Early life and education

[edit]

Irankunda was born on 9 February 2006[5] in Kigoma, Tanzania, the third-eldest child with two older brothers and five younger sisters to Gideon Rurandagaye and Dafroza Siyajali.[1][6][7][8] His parents were born in Burundi, but fled from their home amid the civil war. His father led his family to a refugee camp in Tanzania where he was born.[1][6] At three months old, his family moved to Perth, Australia, and later to the northern suburbs of Adelaide when he was seven.[9][10] Irankunda grew up in a Christian home,[11] and found his love of football while playing with his older brothers. At the age of eight, he played for his first soccer club at Parafield Gardens after being brought in by the under-10s coach at the club.[1][12]

Irankunda attended Karrendi Primary School and then Parafield Gardens High School.[13] Although he claimed to do poorly at school,[11] his favourite subject was English, and enjoys the Harry Potter books and film series.[14] He came runner-up in his category in the School Sports Awards in December 2022.[15] As a child, Irankunda's family faced financial hardship to support his career. His older brothers began working to help pay for his soccer fees.[14][16] During his junior years, when he played with Northern Wolves in the suburb of Elizabeth for a year in 2015, the club helped the family by driving them to games, and subsidised their fees when they could not afford them.[17][18]

After his stints at Wolves and Parafield, he was scouted and signed by National Premier Leagues (NPL) side Adelaide Croatia Raiders.[1][19] He caught the attention of many scouts in Adelaide including Airton Andrioli, the head of youth for A-League side Adelaide United. Andrioli signed him to a spot in the youth squad after only a few weeks of trials.[19][20][21]

Club career

[edit]

Adelaide United

[edit]

2021–22: Development

[edit]

In his first year for Adelaide United, Irankunda played in the reserve squad, and after a couple of weeks, started featuring for the senior squad.[20] At the age of 15, he accumulated 26 appearances and 12 goals in total for both the senior and reserve squad in NPL South Australia.[20][22] On 27 September 2021, he signed a scholarship contract and his first professional contract with Adelaide United.[23] Irankunda made his first-team debut in a league match against rivals Melbourne Victory on 8 January 2022. He became the sixth youngest player in A-League history and third youngest at the time for Adelaide United to make his league debut.[24][25]

On 30 January, Irankunda scored his first goal and the winner from a free kick in stoppage time in a 2–1 win against Newcastle Jets.[26][27] He became the second youngest goal scorer in the league, aged 15 years and 355 days, after Mohamed Toure, who did so at the age of 15 years and 325 days.[28][29][30] He scored his second goal and the winner in a 2–1 home win over Central Coast Mariners on 27 February,[31] and his third on 24 April in a 2–0 win against Perth Glory.[32] In the same month, he was awarded the Tomas Dale Medal for his sporting manner in the club.[33] On 26 May, Irankunda was selected in the A-Leagues All Stars squad, alongside teammates Isaías Sánchez and Alexandar Popovic, to face Spanish club Barcelona.[34]

2022–23: Breakthrough season

[edit]

In November 2022, Irankunda received a month suspension for disciplinary issues at the club and missed the opening round of the 2022–23 season.[35][36] He scored his first goal of the season, the winning goal of a 2–1 home victory against Brisbane Roar on 4 February 2023.[37][38] His goal received praise from manager Carl Veart.[39][40] He also dedicated the goal to fellow teammate Juande,[41] who broke his leg in the match against Melbourne City a week earlier.[42] 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),[43] Melbourne City (4–2),[44] and Newcastle Jets (4–2).[45][46] He was awarded A-League Goal of the Month in February for his goal against Melbourne Victory.[47]

It was during this season that Irankunda was criticised by the media for his behaviour in multiple incidents. In the match against Western Sydney Wanderers, he started a brawl that led to Wanderers' captain Marcelo getting sent-off for headlocking Irankunda after he provoked Calem Nieuwenhof. Another incident occurred on 23 April against Perth Glory when he received a booking for kicking the broadcaster’s pitchside microphone.[48][49][50] In the same match against Perth, Irankunda scored his fifth goal of the season in the 99th minute of a 4–4 draw at the Perth Rectangular Stadium.[51] The goal brought his A-League career total to eight goals, surpassing Mohamed Toure's record as the competition’s highest under-18 goalscorer.[52] Irankunda was awarded the club's Rising Star accolade on 2 May.[53] He featured off the bench in the semi-final of the finals series where his side lost 2–0 against the eventual winners Central Coast Mariners.[54][55][56]

2023–24: Final season with Adelaide United

[edit]

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.[57] In the final minutes of the semi-final against Campbeltown City, he fell to the ground and had difficulty breathing after hitting his head in an attempt to make a pass. Dr Christian Verdicchio, the referee of the match, attended to him to ensure he was able to breathe. Irankunda was taken off the field and monitored before reporting to training the following day.[58][59][60] As cautioned by the doctor, he missed the Round of 16 clash against Western Sydney Wanderers at Marconi Stadium,[61][62] and subsequently, the semi final second leg against Campbelltown.[63] Prior to his injury, Irankunda made one appearance for the first-team in the 2023 Australia Cup.[64] After 35 substitute appearances, he made his starting debut on 20 October in a 3–0 victory against Central Coast Mariners.[65][66]

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.[67][68] On 4 November, he was sent off in an Original Rivalry match against Melbourne Victory for a second booking.[69][70] He missed the following league game against Sydney FC as a result.[71] He was later awarded the October nomination for Young Footballer of the Year for his preceding performances.[72] After the announcement of his move to Bayern,[73][74] Irankunda returned from suspension on 26 November against Western United, managing one assist to Ben Halloran in a 3–1 win at Eureka Stadium,[75] and later recorded two assists in his next three league matches.[5][76][77]

After two substitute appearances, Irankunda eventually returned to the starting line-up on 4 January 2024, being named against Wellington Phoenix at home.[78][79] Irankunda contributed towards two of Adelaide's goals, including an assist to Hiroshi Ibusuki, in a 2–2 draw by full-time.[78][79][80] Ibusuki acted as a mentor for Irankunda during this season.[81] The pair scored 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.[82] 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.[83] 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."[84][85][86][87] On 9 March, Irankunda scored his third goal of the campaign and the equaliser in a 2–1 home defeat to Melbourne Victory.[88]

On 29 March, Irankunda scored his first professional hat-trick in a 4–1 home win over Western United.[89] 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.[90][91][92] On 8 April, in the following match, Irankunda provided two assists in a 4–2 comeback win against Perth Glory.[93][94] He played his last match at home on 12 April, scoring a long-range goal, in a 2–1 defeat to Macarthur FC.[95] He added a goal to his tally in a 3–3 draw against Western United on 16 April.[96] 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.[97] Irankunda played his last match on 1 May for Adelaide United in a 2–0 away loss to Central Coast Mariners, allowing the Mariners to win the premiership title over runners-up Wellington Phoenix on the final matchday.[98][99] Irankunda departed with 16 goals in 60 league appearance, in total, for Adelaide United.[100] He was named the A-League Men Young Footballer of the Year, jointly with Alex Paulsen, at the end of the season.[101]

Bayern Munich

[edit]

On 14 November 2023, Adelaide United announced the sale of Irankunda to Bayern Munich for a club-record fee,[102] with the forward set to join the club on 1 July 2024.[103][104][105][106] Fabrizio Romano reported four days prior that Bayern Munich submitted an offer for Irankunda worth £3 million with add-ons.[107][108][109][110] 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.[111][112][113]

Irankunda arrived at Bayern Campus on 18 June and was set to train with Bayern Munich II before preseason began in Waidring on 21 June, and began training with the first-team under manager Vincent Kompany in mid-July.[114][115] He was also included in the pre-season squad that toured in Seoul, South Korea to play Tottenham Hotspur,[116] who were managed by fellow Australian Ange Postecoglou at the time.[117] After impressing the staff to earn a call-up on the bench for a DFB Pokal match against SSV Ulm, Kompany praised Irankunda from his pre-season performances.[118] Before his loan move in January 2025, Irankunda made 19 appearances and five goals in all competitions for the second team in the Regionalliga Bayern and UEFA Youth League.[5] He made his competitive debut on 19 July in a 1–0 league win over Wacker Burghausen,[119][120] and was named man of the match when he scored his first competitive goal, netting a brace, in a 4–1 win against Würzburger Kickers on 24 August.[121]

Loan to Grasshopper

[edit]

On 4 January 2025, he joined Swiss Super League club Grasshopper on a six-month loan until 30 June.[122] After three league appearances, Irankunda recorded three assists in the next four games in February and was awarded Player of the Month for February.[123][124] He returned to Bayern with one goal in 21 appearances to his name during his loan.[125] His lone goal came on 14 May against Yverdon,[126] as, later that month, Grasshopper managed to avoid relegation after beating FC Aarau in the relegation play-off.

Watford

[edit]
Irankunda with Watford in 2025

On 18 July 2025, Irankunda signed a five-year contract with EFL Championship side Watford for an undisclosed fee.[127][128] In his first five games, he managed three goal contributions after his debut against Charlton Athletic on 9 August 2025.[129] His first goal for Watford came two weeks later, netting a 25-yard free kick in a 1–1 draw to Swansea.[130] He scored his second goal from another free kick in a 2–2 draw to Southampton the week after.[131] By mid-season, Irankunda was demoted to an impact player off the bench for inconsistent performances under new manager Javi Gracia. He started to regain form when he recorded two assists in two appearances during the week of New Year in the matches against Norwich and Birmingham.[132] On 31 January 2026, he was sent off for violent conduct against Swansea attacker Liam Cullen in the 2–0 defeat to the Swans.[133] Irankunda later apologised for his actions and received a three-match suspension.[134][135] Garcia resigned as manager after the match.[136] In March, Irankunda recorded another two goal contributions in two appearances, with a goal against Stoke and an assist against Wrexham.[137] At the end of the 2025–26 season, Irankunda managed four goals and five assists in 42 appearances for Watford and played the most minutes in a season of his career.[138] The club finished 16th on the table.[139]

Sporting CP

[edit]

On 15 August 2026, Irankunda signed a five-year contract with Primeira Liga club Sporting CP.[140][141][142] The transfer fee was reportedly €16 million, with a further €2 million in potential add-ons, making it the most expensive transfer involving an Australian player, surpassing Lucas Herrington's transfer record after just four days.[143]

International career

[edit]

Youth

[edit]

Eligible to represent Burundi, Tanzania, or Australia,[144] Irankunda received his first international call-up in September 2022 to represent the Australian under-17 team in the 2023 AFC U17 Asian Cup qualifiers.[145][146] 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.[147][148] He scored three more goals in the remaining group games, with one against Cambodia (10–0)[149] and two against China (3–1).[150][151] Australia topped the group to qualify for the U17 Asian Cup.[152] On 16 May 2023, Irankunda was included in the squad that took part in the Asian Cup hosted in Thailand.[153][154] On 19 June, in the second round of the group stage, Irankunda scored a brace in 18 minutes in a 5–3 win over China.[155][156][157] Irankunda scored in the 3–1 defeat to Japan, as Australia ended their campaign in the knockout stage.[158][159]

In April 2024, Irankunda was omitted from the Australia national under-23 team that was set to compete in the 2024 U23 Asian Cup.[160][161][162] Head coach Tony Vidmar stated his absence was in concern over his maturity and to prevent "further damage" from pressure.[163][164][165] However, after Marco Tilio sustained an injury,[166] Irankunda was given a spot but declined the offer to play his remaining club fixtures for Adelaide United.[167][168] Keegan Jelacic was called up in place of Tilio.[169][170] Due to the timing of his response, and complaints from two A-League clubs, Football Australia conducted an investigation of Irankunda with a means to suspend him from domestic competitions for the duration of the Asian Cup.[171][172] Irankunda was cleared for club selection since he was not formally called-up by Vidmar,[173] or held no apparent conversation with Football Australia.[174] After the tournament, Football Australia led another review of Irankunda's omission in their season report, after the Olyroos failed to qualify out of the group stage without scoring a single goal.[175]

On 22 May 2025, Irankunda was called up to the Australian under-20 team for two friendlies against Argentina as part of preparations for the 2025 FIFA U20 World Cup.[176] He withdrew from the squad on 1 June due to injury.[177]

Senior

[edit]

On 14 March 2023, Irankunda received his first international call-up as a "train on" player for Australia, who was set to play two friendly matches against Ecuador.[178][179] He was included in both match squads to replace Riley McGree, who was ruled out with an illness before his travel to Sydney.[180] He did not feature in either match, and would have broken Duncan Cummings' record as the youngest player to appear for the Socceroos if he had.[181][182] During his time at the camp, he became a mentee under fellow Socceroo Awer Mabil.[183]

In November, the Burundi Football Association announced their interest in Irankunda to represent their national team.[184] In May 2024, Irankunda stated, he would consider playing for either Burundi or Tanzania if Graham Arnold continues to exclude him in future tournaments.[185] 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.[186] 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.[187] After the first training session in Dhaka, Arnold said the issue was resolved.[188]

Irankunda started on his international debut on 6 June, providing an assist for the opening goal in a 2–0 win against Bangladesh.[189] Five days later, he scored his first goal for Australia from a penalty in a 5–0 victory against Palestine.[190] At 18 years and 123 days of age, he became the second youngest player to score for Australia.[191]

On 31 May 2026, Irankunda was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[192] He scored Australia's first goal of the tournament, and was named player of the match,[193] in their opening group game against Turkey on 13 June 2026, which Australia won 2–0.[194] The goal made him the youngest-ever goal scorer for Australia at a World Cup, aged at 20 years and 125 days.[195][196]

Player profile

[edit]

Style of play

[edit]

Irankunda is widely regarded as one of the greatest talents from Australia.[1][6][21][197] He is known for his explosive pace, shot power and technique, and his threat from set pieces. His ability to draw fouls from opponents has received praise from media.[198][199] In an interview, Irankunda said he models his playing style after Lionel Messi for his agility and power.[11]

In his breakthrough season in Adelaide, Irankunda faced many restriction of minutes on the pitch, having made most of his appearances off the bench, a decision made by head coach Veart to protect and ensure that he developed properly.[200][201] Deployed on the either wing, 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.[202][1] He typically takes the ball inside, using his dribbling to maneuver past opponents and create opportunities to shoot on goal or cross towards the centre.[203] Irankunda is known for his shot power on goal and often opts to shoot rather than pass when inside the goal area.[9][204] 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.[205]

Reception

[edit]

Irankunda is considered one of the best Australian youth prospects and is 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,"[206] and listed on 5 January 2024 by The Advertiser as "one of the 24 South Australians to watch in 2024".[207] 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.[208][209] In March 2024, Irankunda was ranked among the best 50 young talents born after January 2005 in the annual NXGN lists from GOAL.[210][211] L'Équipe also listed Irankunda in a similar category list of 30 players in June.[212] Irankunda was ranked by CIES Football Observatory as one of the top 100 Under-20 players worldwide in 2025.[213][214] 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.[215]

As one of the youngest members of Adelaide United's squad at the time, Irankunda was criticised for his "emotional outbursts" and lack of maturity on the football pitch,[216][217][218][219] which gained attention from his send-off in the match against Melbourne Victory in November 2023.[220][221] Veart stated that he was working on his frustrations and emotions.[222] This was also addressed by Bayern Munich in an interview.[223] Irankunda developed a more mature approach towards the later stages of the 2023–24 season. Veart praised him for "making good strides" in his maturity.[224] This was supported by his mentor, Mabil, in June 2026.[225]

Goal celebrations

[edit]

Irankunda has adopted a wide range of goal celebrations throughout his career so far. His signature celebration has been the acrobatic backflip since the start of his career.[226] As a long-time fan of American singer Michael Jackson, he adopted his dance moves into his celebrations.[227] He performed Jackson's crotch grab with the silver glove when he scored a brace against Curaçao on 31 March 2026,[228][229] and a dance routine inspired by the artist in a video to announce his signing with Sporting CP in August.[230] When he scored the opening goal for Australia in their win against Turkey in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he performed the signature celebration from Tim Cahill with his shadowboxing to the corner flag. He did so to commemorate Cahill, who he described was his "biggest inspiration".[231]

Personal life

[edit]

Irankunda attended Karrendi Primary School and subsequently Parafield Gardens High School, both located in Parafield Gardens, a northern suburb of Adelaide. His attendance at both schools was confirmed by the South Australian Department for Education in June 2026.[232] When his family resided in Perth, he attended Grovelands Primary School in the suburb of Armadale.[233]

Irankunda supports La Liga club Barcelona and idolised club legends Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué as a child, who influenced him to play centre-back before his coaches swapped him into a more attacking role.[14] Despite his support for Barcelona, his father's long-time support for Bayern Munich[12] influenced his decision to sign for the German club.[11][234] In an interview in June 2023, Irankunda expressed his desire to retire with Adelaide United by the end of his career.[235]

Irankunda is close friends with fellow footballers Mohamed Touré,[236] and Tete Yengi.[237]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
As of match played 28 August 2026[5]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Adelaide United Youth 2021[238] NPL SA 153——153
2022[239] 121——121
2023[240] 3[c]2[c]——32
Total 306——306
Adelaide United 2021–22[241] A-League Men 13[d]300—133
2022–23[242] 22[e]500—225
2023–24[243] 25810—268
Total 601610—6116
Bayern Munich II 2024–25 Regionalliga Bayern 154——154
Grasshopper (loan) 2024–25 Swiss Super League 21[f]1——211
Watford 2025–26 Championship 4041010424
Sporting CP 2026–27 Primeira Liga 20000020
Career total 16831201017031
Notes
  1. ↑ Includes Australia Cup and FA Cup
  2. ↑ Includes EFL Cup
  3. 1 2 Includes two appearances and two goals in the finals series
  4. ↑ Includes two appearances in the finals series
  5. ↑ Includes three appearances in the finals series
  6. ↑ Includes two appearances in the relegation play-off

International

[edit]
As of match played 25 September 2026[5]
Appearances and goals by year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Australia 202451
202562
202694
Total207
Scores and results list Australia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Irankunda goal.
List of international goals scored by Nestory Irankunda
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 11 June 2024 Perth Rectangular Stadium, Perth, Australia 2  Palestine 5–0 5–0 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 9 September 2025 Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand 7  New Zealand 2–0 3–1 2025 Soccer Ashes
3 10 October 2025 Saputo Stadium, Montreal, Canada 8  Canada 1–0 1–0 Friendly
4 31 March 2026 Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Melbourne, Australia 13  Curaçao 4–1 5–1 2026 FIFA Series
5 5–1
6 13 June 2026 BC Place, Vancouver, Canada 16  Turkey 1–0 2–0 2026 FIFA World Cup
7 25 September 2026 Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville, Australia 20  Brazil 1–0 1–1 Friendly

Honours

[edit]

Australia

Individual

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ Varies between 1.74 and 1.76 by source. The Sydney Morning Herald gives 1.74,[1] Eurosport and worldfootball.net 1.75,[2][3] and Fox Sports 1.76.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Rugari, Vince (4 May 2023). "This 17-year-old schoolkid could be world class. Can Australian soccer help him get there?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "Nestory Irankunda". Eurosport. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  3. ↑ "Nestory Irankunda". worldfootball.net. Archived from the original on 1 November 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  4. ↑ "Nestory Irankunda Height, Weight, Age, Nationality, Position, Bio - football". Fox Sports. Archived from the original on 30 March 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "N. Irankunda". Soccerway. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Clarke, George (3 May 2023). "Stage set for rising Adelaide star Irankunda to shine". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  7. ↑ McGuire, Michael (14 November 2023). "Adelaide United's Nestory Irankunda heads for the big time with Bayern Munich". Adelaide Now. The Advertiser. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  8. ↑ Rayson, Zac (29 November 2023). "'All the ability in the world': 17yo 'freak' could be next Aussie megastar — but there's a big if". Fox Sports. Retrieved 15 October 2026.
  9. 1 2 Peacock, Adam. "Adelaide United's Nestory Irankunda's remarkable power has caught the attention of the Socceroos and European clubs". Code Sports. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  10. ↑ Snape, Jack (15 November 2023). "Nestory Irankunda: how the 17-year-old sensation was snapped up by Bayern Munich". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Weiner, David (14 November 2023). "Why Nestory Irankunda picked Bayern over the EPL: 'There was a photo he showed me'". A-League. Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  12. 1 2 Smith, Matthew (15 November 2023). "Nestory Irankunda's signing with Bayern Munich is a 'watershed moment' for Australian soccer". ABC News. Archived from the original on 15 November 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  13. ↑ "Adelaide United's teenage sensations, balancing school work with professional football". The Roar. 22 March 2023. Archived from the original on 20 April 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 D'Urbano, Nick (13 June 2023). "Nestory Irankunda has already mapped out his entire career after position swap 'out of nowhere'". keepup.com. Isuzu UTE A-League. Archived from the original on 14 June 2023. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  15. ↑ "School Sports Awards". Department for Education South Australia. 14 October 2022. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  16. ↑ Comito, Matt (21 June 2023). "Making sure their community can afford football: our night out at an extraordinary event". A-League. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  17. ↑ Holder, Sophie (17 June 2026). "How Socceroo Nestory Irankunda got his start with Adelaide's Northern Wolves". ABC News. Archived from the original on 18 June 2026. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  18. ↑ "Northern Wolves Soccer Club". Facebook. 18 June 2026. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  19. 1 2 "The naïvety of Nestor: 15-year-old bursts on to the scene". The Roar. 31 January 2022. Archived from the original on 16 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  20. 1 2 3 Pagonis, Antonis (10 February 2022). "Irankunda's rapid ascent from junior local football to A-League Men in two years". The Inner Sanctum. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  21. 1 2 Sachapisani (13 May 2023). "I discovered Nestory Irankunda after plotting 'mission impossible' against the Socceroos". keepup.com. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  22. ↑ "Nestor Irankunda - 2021 Player Statistics". GameDay. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  23. ↑ "Irankunda signs scholarship deal with Reds". Adelaide United. 27 September 2021. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  24. ↑ "The 15-year-old phenomena lighting up the A-League Men". The Roar. 10 January 2022. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  25. ↑ Matthewcomito (10 January 2022). "The 10 youngest ALM teens and what happened next". keepup.com. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  26. ↑ Mitchell, Alex (30 January 2022). "Fifteen-year-old Irankunda sparks Reds into dramatic comeback after free-kick". Adelaide United. Archived from the original on 8 October 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
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