They fled war as child refugees, now they’re playing at World Cup 2026
Key takeaways
- Among the World Cup for everyone. as it has been dubbed by FIFA, players carry historic stories of war and displacement.
- The 20-year-old celebrated the effort in the 2-0 victory against Turkiye by punching the corner flag, his tribute to Australian great Tim Cahill.
- The celebration did not show what came before it: a refugee camp in Kigoma, Tanzania, where Irankunda was born after his parents fled Burundi’s civil war.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Among the World Cup for everyone. as it has been dubbed by FIFA, players carry historic stories of war and displacement.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Nestory Irankunda was born in a refugee camp in Tanzania and is now representing Australia at FIFA World Cup 2026 [Stu Forster//AFP]By Basel Ghazoghli Published On 25 Jun 202625 Jun 2026In Vancouver, during the opening week of the 2026 edition of FIFA’s global football showpiece, Nestory Irankunda became the youngest player to score for Australia at a World Cup.
The 20-year-old celebrated the effort in the 2-0 victory against Turkiye by punching the corner flag, his tribute to Australian great Tim Cahill.