Australian Footballer Irankunda Joins Watford

Nestory Irankunda, an Australian footballer, has officially signed with Watford, an English Championship club, on a five-year contract from Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga champions, the club announced this Friday.

The financial details of the agreement were not revealed. The 19-year-old winger, who debuted for the Socceroos in June, is considered a highly promising young player from Australia.

Watford sporting director Gian Luca Nani voiced his enthusiasm for the signing, noting that Irankunda’s potential made him a primary target for several teams.

Nani stated, “Nestory has the potential to be a remarkable player, and we are confident he can achieve that potential with us.”

He added, “He was in high demand, and our scouting network and solid relationships allowed us to stay ahead in the pursuit of players of this quality.”

Irankunda began his professional career at the age of 15 with Adelaide United in the 2021/22 A-League season. He gained recognition after a strong performance in a friendly match for an A-League All-Stars team against Barcelona.

Born in a Tanzanian refugee camp to parents from Burundi, Irankunda immigrated to Australia as a young child. Earlier this year, he made headlines as the second-youngest player to score for the Socceroos, accomplishing this in a World Cup qualifying match against Palestine.

Following a significant victory over Saudi Arabia in Jeddah last month, Australia has secured its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Irankunda’s most recent appearance for Australia was in a 3–1 victory over China in October of the previous year during the Asian World Cup qualifiers. However, he has not been selected by current head coach Tony Popovic since then.