Born inKigoma, Tanzania, Irankunda played youth football inAdelaide forAdelaide Croatia Raiders before moving toAdelaide 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 firsthat-trick, becoming the second youngest to do so inAustralia men's history. Irankunda joined Bayern Munich in June 2024 for an undisclosed fee, presumably, breaking the A-League transfer record.[6]
Irankunda chose to representAustralia, whilst also being eligible forTanzania orBurundi. At youth level, he helped lead theAustralia U17 squad to qualification for theAFC U-17 Asian Cup.[7] 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 aFIFA World Cup qualification (2026) match.
Nestory Irankunda was born on 9 February 2006[1] inKigoma,Tanzania, the third eldest child with two older brothers and five younger sisters to Gideon, arideshare driver, and his wife, Dafroza.[2][8][9] His parents were originally fromBurundi, but fled their home due to thecivil war escalating at the time. His father led his family to a refugee camp in Tanzania where Nestory was born.[2][8] They soon moved toPerth inWestern Australia, when Irankunda was three months old, before moving to the northern suburbs ofAdelaide,South Australia in 2013.[10][11] Irankunda grew up in aChristian home,[12] 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 atParafield Gardens after being spotted by the under-10s coach of the local club.[2][13]
During his junior years in Australian football, he played with Northern Wolves and Parafield Gardens before being scouted and signed byNational Premier Leagues (NPL) sideAdelaide Croatia Raiders.[2][14] During his time in the youth levels for the Raiders, he caught the attention of many scouts in the area includingAirton Andrioli, the head of youth forA-League sideAdelaide United, who eventually invited him to trial for the youth squad before offering a permanent spot after a couple of weeks.[14][15] 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."[16]
In his first year for Adelaide United, Irankunda initially played with the reserves, and after a couple of weeks, started featuring forAdelaide United NPL side.[15] 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.[15][17] On 27 September 2021, Irankunda signed a scholarship contract (his first professional contract) with Adelaide United.[18] On 8 January 2022, at the age of 15 years and 333 days, Irankunda became the sixth youngest player inA-League history and the third youngest debutant at the time for Adelaide United when he made his debut againstrivalsMelbourne Victory, drawing 1–1 at theMelbourne Rectangular Stadium.[19][20]
On 30 January, Irakunda scored his first league goal, afree kick in stoppage time to win the game 2–1 againstNewcastle Jets.[21][22] His goal made him the second youngest goalscorer in the league at the age of 15 years and 355 days, afterMohamed Toure who scored at the age of 15 years and 325 days.[23][24][25] He scored his second league goal, coming off the bench to score the winner in a 2–1 home win overCentral Coast Mariners on 27 February.[26] 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 againstPerth Glory.[27] His brief cameo won him the Tomas Dale Medal for his sporting manner in the club.[28] On 26 May, Irankunda was selected in theA-Leagues All Stars squad, alongside teammatesIsaías Sánchez andAlexandar Popovic, to face Spanish giantsBarcelona.[29]
In November 2022, Irankunda missed the firstOriginal Rivalry match of the2022–23 season after receiving a month's suspension from the club for turning up late to several team meetings and avoiding "chores" associated with being one of the club’s younger players.[30][31] Irankunda scored his first goal of the season, the winning goal of a 2–1 home victory againstBrisbane Roar on 4 February 2023.[32][33] His goal received praise from managerCarl Veart who stated, "This is the talent that Nestor has."[34][35] Irankunda dedicated the goal to Spanish teammate and friendJuande,[36] who broke his leg in a 3–3 draw withMelbourne City a week earlier.[37] 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),[38] Melbourne City (4–2),[39] and Newcastle Jets (4–2).[40][41] He was awarded A-League Goal of the Month in February for his goal against Melbourne Victory.[42]
Irankunda was criticised in the media for his discipline issues when he started a brawl in the match againstWestern Sydney Wanderers that led to Wanderers' captainMarcelo getting sent-off for headlocking Irankunda after he provokedCalem Nieuwenhof. Another incident occurred on 23 April againstPerth Glory when Irankunda received a booking for kicking the broadcaster’s pitchside microphone.[43][44][45] In the same match against Perth, Irankunda scored his fifth goal of the season in the 99th-minute of a 4–4 draw at thePerth Rectangular Stadium.[46] The goal brought his A-League career total to eight goals, surpassing Mohamed Toure's record as the competition’s highest under-18 goalscorer.[47] Irankunda was awarded the club's Rising Star accolade on 2 May.[48] He featured off the bench in United's final game of the season on 20 May where his side lost 2–0 against the eventual winnersCentral Coast Mariners atCentral Coast Stadium.[49][50][51]
DuringAdelaide's 2023–24 pre-season, Irankunda returned toAdelaide United Youth, where he scored the winner in the Young Reds' 4–3elimination final victory againstAdelaide Comets in August 2023.[52] In the final minutes of the semi-final againstCampbeltown City, Irankunda collapsed to the ground and had difficulty breathing after hitting his head whilst attempting to make a pass. 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.[53][54][55] As cautioned by the doctor, he missed theRound of 16 clash against Western Sydney Wanderers atMarconi Stadium,[56][57] and subsequently, the semi final second leg against Campbelltown.[58] Prior to his injury, Irankunda made one appearance for the first-team in the2023 Australia Cup.[59] 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.[60][61] During the match, he reached a maximum speed of 37.02 km/h, setting a new team record for fastest sprint in a match; onlyKyle Walker from theprevious season of the Premier League exceeded that speed, reaching a max 37.31 km/h.[62]
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 atCoopers Stadium.[63][64][65] 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 fromChris Ikonomidis, resulting in him receiving his second yellow card for dissent against refereeAlex King.[66][67][68] He missed the following league game againstSydney FC as a result.[69] He was later awarded the October nomination forYoung Footballer of the Year for his preceding performances.[70] After the announcement of his move to Bayern,[71][72] Irankunda returned from suspension on 26 November againstWestern United, managing one assist toBen Halloran in a 3–1 win atEureka Stadium,[73] and later accumulating two assists in his next three league matches.[1][74][75] 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.[76][77]
Irankunda eventually returned to the starting line-up after two further substitute appearances on 4 January 2024, being named against Wellington Phoenix at home.[78][79] Irankunda contributed towards Adelaide's two goals, including an assist toHiroshi Ibusuki, in a 2–2 draw by full-time.[78][79][80] In particular, Ibusuki acted as a mentor for Irankunda,[81] forming a partnership which saw them both score against Sydney FC in a 4–3 victory atAllianz Stadium on 14 January; Irankunda scored once and his second of the season, assisted by Ibusuki who scored ahat-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 overtakingLiberato 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 (and brace) 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 toMacarthur 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 the2024 A-League Men All Stars squad that was set to play againstPremier League clubNewcastle United.[97] 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 thepremiership 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 theA-League Men Young Footballer of the Year, jointly withAlex Paulsen, at the end of the season.[101]
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.[102][103][104][105]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 byMarco Tilio in his move toCeltic.[106][107][108][109] 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.[110][111][112]
Irankunda arrived atBayern Campus on 18 June and was set to train withBayern Munich II beforepreseason began inWaidring on 21 June.[113] He made his non-competitive debut for the reserve team on 6 July and scored his side's only goal in a 2–1friendly defeat toAustria Lustenau.[114] In mid-July, Irankunda began training with the first-team under managerVincent Kompany.[115] On 19 July, he made his competitive debut for the reserve team in theRegionalliga Bayern, winning 1–0 againstWacker Burghausen.[116][117] Irankunda made his non-competitive debut for the first-team six days later, registering an assist and goal in a 14–1 friendly win againstFC Rottach-Egern.[118][119] On 31 July, he was announced to be included in the pre-season squad that was set to tourSeoul, South Korea to playTottenham Hotspur,[120] who is managed by fellow AustralianAnge Postecoglou.[121] After his first month in Bayern, Irankunda was praised by Kompany for his performances in preseason and with the first-team, despite being a new signing to a foreign club, earning him a spot on the bench in theDFB-Pokal match againstSSV Ulm.[122] Returning to the reserve team, Irankunda was namedman of the match after scoring a brace and his first competitive goal for the club in a 4–1 win againstWürzburger Kickers on 24 August.[123] On 10 December 2024, he received his second call-up with the Bayern Munich senior team for a 5–1 away winUEFA Champions League match against Ukrainian clubShakhtar Donetsk, as an unused substitute however.[124]
On 4 January 2025, he joined Swiss record championsGrasshopper Club Zurich for a six-month loan until 30 June 2025.[125] After four matches for the club, Irankunda found his first goal contribution with an assist in a draw againstLausanne-Sport in theSwiss Super League.[126] Another assist came in the following match againstLugano, but Irankunda was substituted off with an injury in the 36th minute of that match.[127] Following a third assist in four games on 22 February 2025, in a 2–2 draw away toLausanne, he was chosen by the fans as player of the month for February.[128]
Eligible to representBurundi,Tanzania, orAustralia,[129] Irankunda received his first international call-up in September 2022 fromAustralia to represent theunder-17 side in the2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup qualification matches.[130] He made his debut against theNorthern Mariana Islands, netting ahat-trick by the 38th-minute before scoring two more goals to complete a 23–0 win.[131][132] He scored three more goals in the remaining group games, with one againstCambodia (10–0)[133] and two againstChina (3–1).[134][135] Irankunda performances helped Australia in topping the group and qualifying for theAFC U-17 Asian Cup.[136] On 16 May 2023, Irankunda was added to the Australia squad set to play in the2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup hosted inThailand.[137][138] On 19 June 2023, in the second round of the group stage, Irankunda scored twice in 18 minutes of a 5–3 win overChina.[139] His second goal, a powerful long-range strike, garnered widespread attention on social media due to its audacity and quality.[140][141] Irankunda scored in Australia's last game as his side were knocked out byJapan following a 3–1 defeat in theknockout stage.[142][143]
In April 2024, Irankunda was omitted from theAustralia national under-23 team that was set to compete in the2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, in contention to qualify for the2024 Summer Olympics.[144][145][146] CoachTony Vidmar stated his absence was in concern over his maturity and to prevent further "damage" from pressure.[147][148][149] However, afterMarco Tilio sustained an injury,[150] Irankunda was offered a spot but declined to play hisremaining club fixtures forAdelaide United.[151][152]Keegan Jelacic was called up instead in place of Tilio.[153][154] As a result of his last-minute response, and criticism from twoA-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.[155][156] However, Irankunda was confirmed to be available for club selection since he was not formally called-up by Vidmar,[157] or held no apparent conversation withFootball Australia.[158] At the conclusion of the tournament, it was reported that Irankunda's omission was under review by Football Australia after theOlyroos failed to qualify without scoring a single goal.[159]
On 14 March 2023, Irankunda received his first international call-up to theAustralia squad, being named as a "train on" player for thefriendlies againstEcuador.[160][161] During his time in the squad, he befriendedAwer Mabil, who called himself as the "big brother" and helped him settle in with the seniors. He also befriended youngsterGarang Kuol who had experienced a similar journey through the A-League.[2][162] As a result ofRiley McGree falling ill during his travel toSydney, Irankunda was included in the match squad in both matches against Ecuador.[163] Although he could have potentially become the youngest player to appear for the Socceroos, surpassingDuncan Cummings' record, he did not feature in either match.[164][165]
In November 2023, theBurundi Football Association announced their interest in Irankunda to represent theirnational team.[166] In May 2024, Irankunda stated, that despite pursuing a debut with Australia, he would consider playing for either Burundi orTanzania ifGraham Arnold continues to exclude him in future tournaments.[167] On 29 May, days after his comments, Irankunda was called-up to the Australian national team ahead of the2026 World Cup qualification matches in June againstBangladesh andPalestine.[168] 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.[169] However, after the first training session inDhaka, Arnold said the issues were "for a headline" and has been resolved.[170]
Irankunda started on his international debut on 6 June, providing an assist in the opening goal toAjdin Hrustic, in a 2–0 win againstBangladesh during2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.[171] Five days later, Irankunda scored his first goal for theSocceroos from a penalty in a 5–0 victory against Palestine.[172] At the age of 18 years and 123 days, he became the second youngest player to score for Australia.[173]
"He can do things on a pitch that I haven’t seen other players do. So explosive. In training games, he’ll have three four-minute spells when no-one wants to go near him."
—Veart on Irankunda's playing style in training[10]
Irankunda is regarded by many within the Australian media as one of the greatest talents developed in the country.[2][8][16][174] His goal-scoring prowess received many plaudits from media and pundits who recognised his skills and techniques, and even compared hisfree kick goal againstNewcastle Jets to that ofCristiano Ronaldo.[175] 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.[176] 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.[177][178]
Deployed on the right wing byAdelaide United managerCarl 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.[179][2] 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.[180] Irankunda is known for his shot power on goal and often opts to shoot rather than pass when inside the goal area.[10][181] However, after gaining regular playing time in the2023–24 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 a4–3–3 formation, he would rotate between either wing of the field or directly in the centre to create goal-scoring opportunities.[182]
"At his age, I only saw Messi and him at this level. The power, the skills. Never in my life at 17 years of age have I seen a player like him and Messi"
With his consistent and impressive performances since his breakthrough season, Irankunda has received praise from his teammateJavi López, who compared his development with Argentine footballerLionel Messi at the age of 17.[183] Many coaches, including international managers, who had witnessed Irankunda play have agreed with this sentiment.[184] Irankunda has also been compared toAlphonso Davies for their similar journey in football; Davies was born in a refugee camp in Ghana before residing in Canada.[185]
Irankunda is recognised as a prominent figure of South Australian football, being named byMessenger Newspapers as "one of the top 20 South Australian athletes to watch in 2023,"[186] and listed on 5 January 2024 byThe Advertiser as "one of the 24 South Australians to watch in 2024".[187] On 11 October 2023, Irankunda was named as one of the 60 best young talents in world football byThe Guardian, being the only Australian listed, among other talents likeEndrick,Warren Zaïre-Emery,Paris Brunner, andSimone Pafundi.[188][189] In March 2024, Irankunda was ranked among the best 50 young talents born after January 2005 in the annual NXGN lists fromGOAL.[190][191]L'Équipe also listed Irankunda in a similar category list of 30 players in June.[192]
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,[193][194][195][196] which gained attention from hissend-off in the match against Melbourne Victory in November 2023.[197][198] Veart stated that the winger has been working on his frustrations and needs to be able to control his emotions.[199] 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."[200] Irankunda would show improvement into the new year and received praise from Veart after displaying calmness and maturity during the later matches of the2023–24 season, adding that "he's making good strides in that maturity."[201]
Irankunda supported Spanish clubBarcelona and idolisedCarles Puyol andGerard Piqué, who influenced him to play centre-back as a child before converting to a more attacking role by his coaches.[203] He modelled his playing style onLionel Messi for his agility and power.[12] Despite his support for Barcelona, his father's long-time support forBayern Munich, since his time in Africa,[13] influenced his decision to sign for the German club.[12][206] In an interview in June 2023, Irankunda expressed his desire to retire with Adelaide United by the end of his career.[207]
During his upbringing, Irankunda's father drove him around to his football games before he was old enough to obtain his driver's licence, and his older brothers stopped playing football to help pay for his football fees when he played inNPL.[203][208] 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.[203] Irankunda is close friends with fellow professional footballer,Mohamed Toure, who has described him as "footballHoudini" and "AustralianJude Bellingham".[209]
Palestine