Hanoi FC's coach accurately assessed the player who just made history for the Australian national team at the 2026 World Cup.

Nestory Irankunda made World Cup history for Australia by finding the net against Turkey. Interestingly, days prior, Hanoi FC manager Harry Kewell had placed his trust in the young talent.

Young striker Nestory Irankunda (20 years old) made his mark at the 2026 World Cup by becoming the youngest Australian player to score in the tournament's history. He achieved this milestone during Australia's Group D match against Turkey, held at BC Place in Vancouver today (June 14).

Irankunda's goal came from a swift counterattack. Receiving a pass from Paul Okon-Engstler, the 20-year-old forward sprinted into the penalty area before firing an accurate shot into the bottom left corner of the net, opening the scoring for Australia.

A few days earlier, Hanoi FC's head coach Harry Kewell shared his hopes for Irankunda: "For me, Irankunda is very exciting. I don't want to put too much pressure on him, but what I want to see is him going out there and enjoying the game. Irankunda has had a tough season. The Championship is a demanding league, but you can see he is strong and physically powerful."

At the 2026 World Cup, Harry Kewell, a former Australian international, works as a commentator for SBS. Kewell praised Irankunda's performance in Australia's 1-1 friendly draw with Switzerland ahead of the World Cup. "Irankunda had a powerful shot in the second half. He turned and unleashed the strike. I had to watch it a few times. The opposing goalkeeper made an excellent save, pushing it onto the crossbar," Kewell recalled.

Hanoi FC's manager expressed his hope that Irankunda would shine at the 2026 World Cup: "Those are the moments you want to see in a match. Hopefully, the Australian team can create opportunities for Irankunda to produce such moments."

In another statement, Kewell also emphasized: "I hope Irankunda has enough confidence to be himself on such a big stage. The only thing the Australian team needs is someone willing to step up and say, 'Give me the ball. Don't worry about anything else. Just give me the ball and I'll make something happen for you.'"

And Irankunda turned Harry Kewell's words into reality by scoring against Turkey in the 27th minute. After this goal, Australia found the net again in the 75th minute through Connor Metcalfe.

Currently, Irankunda plays for Watford FC. In the past season, he scored 4 goals and provided 5 assists in 42 appearances across all competitions for the English club.

Before joining Watford, Irankunda was signed by Bayern Munich ahead of the 2024/25 season. However, he did not get any playing time for the German club's first team and spent half a season on loan at Grasshopper Club Zürich in Switzerland.

Born in 2006, Irankunda has a unique background. He was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania to a Burundian mother. At just three months old, he moved with his family to Perth, Australia.

Irankunda's professional career began at Adelaide United in the A-League. With that club, he scored 16 goals and provided 8 assists in 61 appearances. From a talent nurtured in Australia's domestic league, Irankunda is steadily making a name for himself on the world football stage.

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