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Irankunda Makes History in Socceroos Victory
14 Jun
Summary
- Nestory Irankunda became Australia's youngest World Cup scorer at 20.
- Australia defeated Türkiye 2-0 in their opening World Cup fixture.
- Connor Metcalfe sealed the victory with a late long-range strike.
Australia secured a crucial 2-0 victory against Türkiye in their opening FIFA World Cup 2026 fixture, held in Vancouver. Rising star Nestory Irankunda, at just 20 years old, made history by becoming Australia's youngest goalscorer in World Cup history. He opened the scoring in the 27th minute after a swift counter-attack.
Despite Türkiye enjoying significant possession and applying pressure, the Socceroos demonstrated remarkable defensive resilience. Goalkeeper Patrick Beach made key saves throughout the match. The decisive second goal came late in the second half from Connor Metcalfe, who unleashed a powerful strike from distance to seal the win.
The Socceroos successfully navigated the closing stages, fending off numerous Turkish attacks to secure all three points in this challenging opening encounter.
