Nestory Irankunda, the United States U-19 attacker and a Bayern Munich prospect, is soon to make a step from Bayern Munich to English Championship side Watford FC. Irankunda is clearly motivated to find himself a new home in professional football. This decision is based on a difficult year, including his loan spell at Grasshoppers Zurich and a host of injury woes. As we mentioned, Irankunda was born in a Tanzanian refugee camp to Burundian parents. His footballing story has been incredible since making his debut for Adelaide United at the age of 15 years in 2022.
Irankunda’s career started with a firecracker, showing off his freak quality right from the jump at Adelaide United. Ever since his move to Bayern Munich in 2024, he’s found it tough to make a first team appearance. His talent was clear in his loan to Grasshoppers Zurich, pulling the strings and dominating matches. In the 2024–25 Swiss Super League season, he played 19 matches, scored one goal and had three assists. Still, even with these attempts, his route back to the Bundesliga was a steep one, leading to this imminent move to Watford.
Challenges and Opportunities
Overall, Nestory Irankunda’s move to Watford should be viewed as another great step for his burgeoning career. This transition presents immense opportunity for growth and innovation. The young winger has, as many prospects do, faced obstacles along his path. A late hamstring injury ruled him out of selection for the Australia Under 20s in June. His absence from the international scene has increased speculation about his future within the Socceroos setup.
Tony Popovic, head coach of the Socceroos, is still optimistic on Irankunda’s talent. He thinks that no matter the challenges, Irankunda has a bright future in the national team.
“The impression people sometimes have from the outside, which I totally understand, is that if a player doesn’t get called up, that equates to you not liking the player — it’s far from that,” said Popovic.
Popovic was clear that developing players is a complex art that needs time and empathy.
Learning and Growth
Irankunda’s journey has come without its lessons learned. As Popovic himself pointed out, all players are about to encounter important development stages. Building on his experiences as an assistant coach at Crystal Palace, Popovic discussed developing young players.
“We had [then] 17-year-old Wilfried Zaha who was the most ill-disciplined, never came on time, wanted to walk out 10 minutes before training, didn’t want to do the pre-activation,” Popovic recalled.
He didn’t shy away from the fact that these kind of challenges are a natural part of a player’s development. He cited advice from Dougie Freedman at Crystal Palace as the type of perspective necessary in keeping his head to raise young talent.
“As soon as Dougie made me go to his apartment and see how the boy was living, it totally changed me,” Popovic added.
This player-centric method puts significant emphasis on recognizing and understanding a player’s individual context and situation when developing them.
Socceroos Aspirations
With that decision made, Irankunda is already preparing for his move to Watford in January. At the same time, discussion of his potential place in the Socceroos’ squad for the 2026 World Cup continues. He’s clocked five caps as a forward for Australia. So the excitement around what he can do for the national team going forward is really positive.
Coach Tony Popovic is fully invested in ensuring Irankunda continues to develop in the right direction. He has full confidence that the young winger is developing and growing into a player. Popovic’s experiences with other young talents reinforce his confidence in Irankunda’s capabilities.
Irankunda’s case is being pushed for a spot in Tony Popovic’s 2026 World Cup squad, insiders report, hinting that he will very soon be a key part of Australia’s footballing future.
