▲ Australia's rising star Nestory Irankunda (20, Watford)
Nestory Irankunda (20, Watford), who was born in a Tanzanian refugee camp and grew up to become a rising star in Australian football, led Australia (FIFA ranking 27th) to a victory in their opening match of the World Cup by scoring the winning goal in his tournament debut.
Irankunda scored the opening and winning goal in the 27th minute of the first half against Turkey in the Group D opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, today (June 14), leading Australia to a 2-0 win.
After receiving a pass from Paul Okon-Engstler, he finished with a low, powerful right-footed shot toward the near post from the left side of the penalty area, despite being pressured by the goalkeeper and two defenders.
It was his debut goal in his first-ever World Cup match.
With this goal, he became the youngest player in Australian national team history to score in a World Cup.
The previous record was held by Brett Holman, who scored against Ghana in the group stage of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa at the age of 26.
Irankunda stated that he was motivated by comments made the previous day by Turkey captain Hakan Calhanoglu, who said of the Australian team, "We have more advantages and a more talented team."
"It's unbelievable. A dream has come true," Irankunda said after the match. "(Calhanoglu's remarks) definitely provided motivation. We are a great team, and I don't like it when people underestimate us."
According to reports from the BBC and other outlets, Irankunda comes from a refugee family.
His parents were refugees who fled their home country to escape the civil war in Burundi, and Irankunda was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania in 2006.
After moving to Australia with his family as a child, he began playing football and developed his skills at Adelaide United in the A-League.
Irankunda transferred to the German Bundesliga powerhouse Bayern Munich in 2024, but he struggled to secure playing time with the first team.
To achieve his dream of playing in the World Cup, he left Bayern last year and transferred to Watford in the English Championship (second division).
The decision proved to be the right one.
Irankunda made 42 appearances for Watford, recording 4 goals and 5 assists, eventually earning his spot on the Australian national team for the World Cup.
After scoring the goal today, Irankunda performed a celebration where he punched the corner flag.
It was a scene reminiscent of Australian football legend Tim Cahill (retired).
"Tim Cahill is the biggest inspiration in my football life," Irankunda said. "I consider him the greatest player in Australian history. I made up my mind that if I scored, I would celebrate just like him, and I was able to do that."
Australia's head coach Tony Popovic highly praised the performance of Australia's young players, including Irankunda.
"As a coach, I am proud to be here, to have this experience, and to bring a smile to the faces of the fans who traveled a long way to support us," he said. "I am just happy for these wonderful young players."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.