Socceroos forward Nestory Irankunda has revealed that Pauline Hanson's claim the Australian men's football team represented a "monocultural Australia" angered and upset players during this year's World Cup. The One Nation leader made the remark after Australia beat Turkey in their opening group match, prompting criticism from squad members who felt her comments misrepresented the team's diverse, multicultural makeup and could influence young fans who look up to them.

Irankunda, who was born in a Tanzanian refugee camp to Burundian parents and scored Australia's first goal of the tournament, told ABC radio the comments made him "emotional" and angered "a lot of us boys". Teammate Awer Mabil, born in a Kenyan refugee camp to South Sudanese parents, separately dismissed Hanson's claims as "bullshit", while midfielder Jackson Irvine had earlier stated the Socceroos "are a reflection of modern Australia" in a video celebrating the team's migrant heritage. Irankunda, now at Portuguese champions Sporting CP, said he remained wary of Hanson but did not rule out speaking with her one day.