Fleeing the civil war in Burundi, Irankunda’s parents sought refuge in a camp in Kigoma, Tanzania, where he was born. While still a young child, he traveled with his parents to a northern suburb of Adelaide, Australia. It is remarkable to think that, two decades later, the boy born in a refugee camp would stun everyone by scoring for Australia against Turkey.
His parents’ desperate struggle for survival began even before he was born; amidst the Burundian civil war, they had risked their lives to find safety in the Tanzanian refugee camp. It was there, in Kigoma, amidst a life of great hardship, that Irankunda was born in February 2006. In his early childhood, his family moved to Perth, Australia, before eventually settling in Adelaide. It was in Adelaide that football became the turning point of his life.
Irankunda was introduced to football while growing up in Adelaide. Local coaches quickly noticed a special spark in his game; his fearless style, blistering pace, and dribbling ability earned him praise from a young age. While playing for a local junior club, he earned the opportunity to join the Adelaide United Football Academy—and from that moment on, there was no looking back. Irankunda made his A-League debut for Adelaide United in January 2022 at the age of just 15. His impressive skills in the league attracted interest from major global clubs, eventually leading to a contract with the German powerhouse Bayern Munich. For this young Australian footballer, the opportunity to share a dressing room and play alongside some of the world's best players at a club like Bayern Munich helped him mature further.
This paved the way for Irankunda to break into the Australian national team. After achieving success with Australia's youth teams, he caught the eye of the senior national team selectors, who did not hesitate to include him in the squad. Irankunda proved the correctness of their decision by scoring his first goal for Australia against Turkey in the 27th minute. His coach and teammates believe this is just the beginning, and that many more goals will follow thanks to his scoring prowess.