{"id":7487,"date":"2026-06-25T16:35:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:35:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/06\/25\/they-fled-war-as-child-refugees-now-theyre-playing-at-world-cup-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-06-25T16:35:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T16:35:33","slug":"they-fled-war-as-child-refugees-now-theyre-playing-at-world-cup-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/06\/25\/they-fled-war-as-child-refugees-now-theyre-playing-at-world-cup-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"They fled war as child refugees, now they\u2019re playing at World Cup 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>In Vancouver, during the opening week of the 2026 edition of FIFA\u2019s global football showpiece, Nestory Irankunda became the youngest player to score for Australia at a World Cup.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<section>\n<h2>Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n<p><span>list of 4 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>list 1 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/video\/2026\/6\/25\/video-world-cup-2026-highlights\">VIDEO: Watch World Cup Day 14: South Africa advance with Morocco and Brazil<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 2 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/6\/25\/in-new-yorks-astoria-neighbourhood-arab-nations-unite-in-world-cup-joy\">\u2018Support every Arab team\u2019: In New York, the World Cup unites all Arab fans<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 3 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/6\/24\/qatars-madibo-banned-for-5-games-after-breaking-leg-of-canadas-kone\">Qatar\u2019s Madibo banned for 5 games after breaking leg of Canada\u2019s Kone<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 4 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/6\/24\/olympic-athletes-to-get-cash-grants-from-new-100m-fund-created-by-ioc\">Olympic athletes to get cash grants from new $100m fund created by IOC<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>The celebration did not show what came before it: a refugee camp in Kigoma, Tanzania, where Irankunda was born after his parents fled Burundi\u2019s civil war. Two of his teammates carry a version of that same story onto the same pitch.<\/p>\n<p>Across the largest World Cup staged with 48 nations, hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, at least nine players carry a refugee or displacement story. Together with others, they were brought together last month by the UN refugee agency under a campaign called the Gamechanging Team.<\/p>\n<p>The UNHCR says 117 million people are displaced worldwide, including almost 49 million children.<\/p>\n<p>UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, called this World Cup \u201can ideal moment\u2026 to send a message of hope to fans all over the world,\u201d in the same May statement that announced the Gamechanging Team.<\/p>\n<p>For the players who share painfully similar pasts, that message plays out across more than a hundred matches this summer, in front of the largest audience football has ever drawn.<\/p>\n<p>Here are those nine of the players who reached the finals \u2013 along with two more who missed out \u2013 and where their stories come from.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Alphonso Davies \u2014 Canada<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1969011\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1969011\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/AP22331562427936.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C513&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Canada's Alphonso Davies eyes the ball during a warm up session prior the World Cup group F soccer match between Croatia and Canada, at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022. (AP Photo\/Martin Meissner)\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1969011\">Canada\u2019s Alphonso Davies prior to the 2022 World Cup match with Croatia in Qatar, Nov. 27, 2022. (AP Photo\/Martin Meissner)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Davies was born in 2000 in Buduburam refugee camp, Ghana, after his parents fled Liberia\u2019s civil war; the family resettled in Edmonton, Canada, when he was five. In March 2021 he became the first footballer named a UNHCR Global Goodwill Ambassador. \u201cWhilst the refugee camp provided a safe place for my family when they fled war, I often wonder where I would have been if I had stayed there,\u201d he said in the statement UNHCR released announcing his appointment. \u201cI don\u2019t think I would have made it to where I am today.\u201d Davies now captains Canada, one of three co-host nations alongside Mexico and the US \u2014 who qualify automatically.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"mohamed-toure-australia\"><strong>Mohamed Toure \u2014 Australia<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4701169\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4701169\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-14T060924Z_1641579241_UP1EM6E0H3M4L_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-AUS-TUR-1782392582.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C532&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Australia's Mohamed Toure celebrates after the match\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4701169\">Australia\u2019s Mohamed Toure celebrates after the group-stage match against Turkiye [Albert Gea\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Toure was born in a refugee camp in Conakry, Guinea, in 2004, after his family fled an attack on their hometown in Liberia and spent 14 years waiting to be resettled. \u201cOur town was attacked by a group of men and we had to flee,\u201d his father, Amara, told Football Australia\u2019s YouTube channel, in comments reported by ITV News Anglia on June 12, 2026. The family settled in Adelaide, Australia. Now Australia\u2019s starting striker, Toure told Football Australia around the same time: \u201cIf my dad can go to work and say: \u2018Yeah, my son played at the World Cup\u2019\u2026 that makes me happier than me playing in a World Cup\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"awer-mabil-australia\">Awer Mabil \u2014 Australia<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_1980562\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1980562\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/2022-11-26T000000Z_1801798465_UP1EIBQ0XMP9I_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-TUN-AUS-REPORT-1-1.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C543&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Group D - Tunisia v Australia - Al Janoub Stadium, Al Wakrah, Qatar - November 26, 2022 Australia's Awer Mabil celebrates after the match REUTERS\/Annegret Hilse\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-1980562\">Australia\u2019s Awer Mabil after the match against Tunisia [Annegret Hilse\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Mabil was born in Kakuma refugee camp, Kenya, after his South Sudanese parents fled civil war, and was resettled in Adelaide aged ten. He scored the penalty that sent Australia to the 2022 World Cup and co-founded Barefoot to Boots, a charity supplying football gear to children still living in Kakuma. \u201cEverything is possible\u2026 so keep going,\u201d he told the Philippine outlet Sunstar during Refugee Week in June 2026.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"nestory-irankunda-australia\">Nestory Irankunda \u2014 Australia<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4678377\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4678377\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-14T044019Z_92430526_UP1EM6E0CLMZQ_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-AUS-TUR-1781862636.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C544&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Nestory Irankunda puts a finegr to his lips and another to his temple after scoring against Turkiye\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4678377\">Nestory Irankunda celebrates scoring Australia\u2019s first goal of World Cup 2026 [Lee Smith\/Reuters] (Reuters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Irankunda was born in a refugee camp in Kigoma, Tanzania, after his parents fled Burundi\u2019s civil war. \u201cMy older sister was sick and they were close to leaving her behind, but my dad couldn\u2019t do it,\u201d he said in an interview this month with beIN Sports describing his family\u2019s escape.<\/p>\n<p>Of his World Cup goal against T\u00fcrkiye: \u201cIt is unreal and a dream come true\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"ermedin-demirovic-bosnia-and-herzegovina\">Ermedin Demirovic \u2014 Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4701382\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4701382\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-24T210749Z_1365098709_UP1EM6O1MP0E1_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-BIH-QAT-1782397214.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C496&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Bosnia and Herzegovina's Ermedin Demirovic celebrates after the match against Qatar\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4701382\">Bosnia and Herzegovina\u2019s Ermedin Demirovic celebrates after playing Qatar [Blake Dahlin\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Demirovic was born in Germany, where his father settled after fleeing Bosnia during the Balkan war. He chose to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina rather than Germany. \u201cTo now represent Bosnia and Herzegovina at only its second-ever World Cup makes me incredibly proud,\u201d he said in the statement UNHCR released in May launching its Gamechanging Team campaign.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Asmir Begovic \u2014 Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4701391\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4701391\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2024-08-09T200652Z_120712802_MT1ACI14009515_RTRMADP_3_SPORT-1782397318.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C513&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Chelsea's Asmir Begovic \" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4701391\">Asmir Begovic in action in the UEFA Champions League during his time with Chelsea [John Sibley\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Begovic fled Bosnia at four, first to Germany, then to Canada, where he learned the game.<\/p>\n<p>He played at Bosnia\u2019s first World Cup in 2014 and remains part of the squad for its second. \u201cI get flashbacks every once in a while travelling in the car,\u201d he said in a 2022 interview with Goal.com. \u201cNobody felt sorry for us, and you couldn\u2019t feel sorry for yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Antonio Rudiger \u2014 Germany<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4682404\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4682404\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-20T182727Z_1974209890_UP1EM6K1F9QMF_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-GER-CIV-1781980401.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C529&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Germany's Antonio Rudiger arrives at the stadium before the match\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4682404\">Germany\u2019s Antonio Rudiger plays for Real Madrid in Spain [Piroschka Van De Wouw\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Rudiger was born in Berlin \u2013 not in a camp, but to a mother who fled Sierra Leone\u2019s civil war in 1991 and settled in Neukolln, a district he described in a 2020 interview on Chelsea FC\u2019s official site as \u201ca tough area where mostly refugees grew up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy parents came to Germany from Sierra Leone to seek safety and a better future,\u201d he said in the same UNHCR statement that introduced the Gamechanging Team in May. \u201cRepresenting Germany is a full circle moment for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"ali-al-hamadi-iraq\">Ali Al-Hamadi \u2014 Iraq<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4701189\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4701189\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-06-19T162540Z_747916869_RC2CVLAUTHI1_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-PHOTODAILY-ONE-1782393059.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C513&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Norway's Erling Haaland in action with Iraq's Ali Al Hamadi\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4701189\">Norway\u2019s Erling Haaland is challenged by Iraq\u2019s Ali Al Hamadi [Pilar Olivares\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Al-Hamadi was a baby when his family fled Iraq in 2003, spurred by the jailing of his father for joining a peaceful protest against Saddam Hussein.<\/p>\n<p>Upon the release of his father, who was studying to be a lawyer at the time, the family fled to the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n<p>Iraq qualified for its first World Cup in roughly four decades this year, and Al-Hamadi made the squad. \u201cIt\u2019s not just my father, it\u2019s my mother,\u201d he told the BBC, in an interview republished this month. \u201cFor a young woman to carry me\u2026 and have to leave her home country\u2026 was really damaging.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"eduardo-camavinga-france\">Eduardo Camavinga \u2014 France<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2894482\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2894482\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24132657431001-1715493066.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C513&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga, top, heads the ball challenged by Granada's Jose Callejon during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Granada FC and Real Madrid at Los Carmanes stadium in Granada, Spain, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo\/Fermin Rodriguez)\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2894482\">Eduardo Camavinga, top, is one of two Real Madrid players that came from refugee backgrounds [Fermin Rodriguez\/AP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Camavinga was born in a refugee camp in Angola after his parents fled war in DR Congo. Ahead of the 2022 Champions League final, he said, in a statement released through UNHCR: \u201cI was born in a refugee camp in Angola after my family fled war\u2026 I\u2019m grateful to play, and proud to do so, as a former refugee\u201d.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"bernard-kamungo-united-states\">Bernard Kamungo \u2014 United States<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4701196\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4701196\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2026-03-08T071620Z_1952702908_MT1USATODAY28438053_RTRMADP_3_MLS-FC-DALLAS-AT-LAFC-1782393371.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C513&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"FC Dallas forward Bernard Kamungo (77) dribbles the ball during the second half against LAFC at BMO Stadium\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4701196\">FC Dallas forward Bernard Kamungo failed to make the cut for the final USA squad [Kiyoshi Mio\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Kamungo was born near a refugee camp in Tanzania after his family fled DR Congo.<\/p>\n<p>He debuted for the US national team in 2024 but was not included on the final 26-man World Cup roster this summer.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"victor-moses-nigeria\">Victor Moses \u2014 Nigeria<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4701206\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4701206\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2018-06-26T201718Z_47858075_RC177CA072A0_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-NGA-ARG-1782393525.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C485&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Nigeria's Victor Moses celebrates scoring their first goal \" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4701206\">Nigeria\u2019s Victor Moses celebrates scoring against Argentina at Russia 2018 [Toru Hanai\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Moses\u2019s story is the heaviest of the eleven, and the only one without an active World Cup campaign behind it \u2014 Nigeria did not qualify. At eleven, his missionary parents were killed in religious violence in Kaduna, Nigeria, in 2002; he fled to the UK alone as an unaccompanied child and was raised by a foster family. He went on to win the Premier League with Chelsea and play for Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In Vancouver, during the opening week of the 2026 edition of FIFA\u2019s 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. Recommended Stories list &#8230; <a title=\"They fled war as child refugees, now they\u2019re playing at World Cup 2026\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/06\/25\/they-fled-war-as-child-refugees-now-theyre-playing-at-world-cup-2026\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about They fled war as child refugees, now they\u2019re playing at World Cup 2026\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7488,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}