[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 a FIFA World Cup qualification (2026) match.
Nestory Irankunda was born on 9 February 2006[1] in Kigoma, Tanzania, the third eldest child with two older brothers and five younger sisters to Gideon, a rideshare driver, and his wife, Dafroza.
[2][13] During his junior years in Australian football, he played with Northern Wolves and Parafield Gardens before being scouted and signed by National Premier Leagues (NPL) side Adelaide Croatia Raiders.
[28] On 26 May, Irankunda was selected in the A-Leagues All Stars squad, alongside teammates Isaías Sánchez and Alexandar Popovic, to face Spanish giants Barcelona.
[52] In the final minutes of the semi-final against Campbeltown City, Irankunda collapsed to the ground and had difficulty breathing after hitting his head whilst attempting to make a pass.
[53][54][55] As cautioned by the doctor, he missed the Round of 16 clash against Western Sydney Wanderers at Marconi Stadium,[56][57] and subsequently, the semi final second leg against Campbelltown.
[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.
[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.
[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.
[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.
[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 by Marco Tilio in his move to Celtic.
[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.
[118][119] On 31 July, he was announced to be included in the pre-season squad that was set to tour Seoul, South Korea to play Tottenham Hotspur,[120] who is managed by fellow Australian Ange 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 the DFB Pokal match against SSV Ulm 1846.
[122] Returning to the reserve team, Irankunda was named man of the match after scoring a brace and his first competitive goal for the club in a 4–1 win against Würzburger Kickers on 24 August.
[123] On 10 December 2024, he received his first call-up with the Bayern Munich senior team for a 5–1 away win UEFA Champions League match against Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, as an unused substitute however.
[141][142] In April 2024, Irankunda was omitted from the Australia national under-23 team that was set to compete in the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup, in contention to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
[146][147][148] However, after Marco Tilio sustained an injury,[149] Irankunda was offered a spot but declined to play his remaining club fixtures for Adelaide United.
[165] In May 2024, Irankunda stated, that despite pursuing a debut with Australia, he would consider playing for either Burundi or Tanzania if Graham Arnold continues to exclude him in future tournaments.
[166] 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.
[169] Irankunda started on his international debut on 6 June, providing an assist in the opening goal to Ajdin Hrustic, in a 2–0 win against Bangladesh during 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.
[2][8][16][173] His goal-scoring prowess received many plaudits from media and pundits who recognised his skills and techniques, and even compared his free kick goal against Newcastle Jets to that of Cristiano Ronaldo.
[174] 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.
[175] 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.
[176][177] Deployed on the right wing by Adelaide United manager Carl 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.
[178][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.
[191] 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,[192][193][194][195] which gained attention from his send-off in the match against Melbourne Victory in November 2023.
[198] 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.
[204] Irankunda supported Spanish club Barcelona and idolised Carles Puyol and Gerard Piqué, who influenced him to play centre-back as a child before converting to a more attacking role by his coaches.