2026 World Cup: 5 things to know about Marvin Senaya, the tournament's top tackler

03.07.26 FT World Cup

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Ghanaian defender Marvin Senaya is stealing the spotlight during this final round of the World Cup.

With 18 successful tackles, he tops the competition's tackling leaderboard alongside Paraguayan Juan Cáceres, outpacing Morocco’s Neil El Aynaoui and Paraguay’s Andrés Cubas, who both have 16 tackles to their names, according to specialized stats site sofascore.

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Here are five things you should know about Black Star Marvin Senaya, the World Cup’s top tackler.

Three nationalities

The right-back holds three nationalities: Togolese, through his father Yao Mawuko Sènaya, a former “Épervier”; Ghanaian, from his mother; and French, by birthright.

Having never represented Togo or France, he made his debut with the Black Stars last March in a friendly loss to Austria, which ended 5-1.

A family of footballers

The Senaya family has left its mark on European football in recent years.

His father, Yao Mawuko Sènaya, played for FC Wangen bei Olten, FC Grenchen, FC Biel-Bienne, FC Wohlen, FC Alle, and SC YF Juventus in Switzerland, as well as Neuweg in France.

His uncle, Yao Séyram Junior Sènaya, donned the jerseys of FC Wangen bei Olten, FC Basel U21, Concordia Basel, SC YF Juventus, FC Thun, returned to SC YF Juventus on loan, and Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland.

His brother, Evann Seyram Junior Senaya, currently plays for FC Basel.

A globe-trotter

The 25-year-old has seen action all over the map, having been loaned out three times by former club RC Strasbourg—to Sochaux (2021-2022), Rodez (2022-2023), and Lausanne-Sport (2025).

In 2025, he joined AJ Auxerre for a fee of 1.5 million euros, signing a contract that runs through 2029.

Nine goal contributions

Marvin Senaya boasts 155 appearances across all competitions, tallying 4 goals and 5 assists.

In Ligue 2, he has featured in 56 matches, with 2 goals and 4 assists to his name.

In Ligue 1, he has played 68 matches, scoring once and providing 2 assists.

Market value on the rise

His market value soared last season, reaching three million euros according to the specialized site Transfermarkt.

That figure is expected to climb even higher following his performance in the final phase of the 2026 World Cup.

Imed Ben Amara |

Editorar, fr

Imed Ben Amara - bilingual sports writer and web editor with experience in football content creation. Since 2021, he has contributed to Foot Africa, providing news coverage and analysis.

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