Irankunda says Hanson's monoculture comments upset team during World Cup

Socceroo Nestory Irankunda revealed that his teammates were upset by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's multiculturalism comments during the World Cup. The Australian team was in North America in June when Ms. Hanson made a speech at the National Press Club advocating for Australia to shift from multiculturalism to a monoculture.

Irankunda, who is a refugee background player, told 702 ABC Sydney that it upset him and many of his fellow players. He expressed empathy, stating that "there can be some people who do the wrong thing but that doesn't mean that's all of us." Irankunda, born in a refugee camp in Tanzania in 2006, moved to Australia at three months old.

He recently transferred from Watford to Sporting CP for a reported fee of $26 million. Irankunda mentioned that he might speak with Senator Hanson someday due to the recent events. Hanson claimed that the Socceroos, representing a diverse range of cultures, were a testament to her vision of a monocultural Australia.