Caleb Yirenkyi
Personal information
Full name Caleb Marfo Yirenkyi
Date of birth (2006-01-15) 15 January 2006 (age 20)
Place of birth Bechem, Ahafo Region, Ghana
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Nordsjælland
Number 36
Youth career
2017–2024 Right to Dream
2024 Nordsjælland
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024– Nordsjælland 47 (4)
International career‡
2025– Ghana 12 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:30, 17 May 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 01:10, 18 June 2026 (UTC)

Caleb Marfo Yirenkyi (born 15 January 2006) is a Ghanaian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Danish Superliga club Nordsjælland and the Ghana national team.

Club career

Nordsjælland

Born in Bechem, Ahafo Region, Ghana, Yirenkyi was a product of the Right to Dream Academy, which he joined in 2017 at the age of 11.[2] He turned 18 in January 2024 and in March 2024 FC Nordsjælland confirmed that Yirenkyi became part of the club's academy and had just made his debut for the club's U-19 team.[3][4][5]

In the summer of 2024, Yirenkyi attended a training camp with the Nordsjælland first team squad.[6][7][8] From here Yirenkyi started training more with the first team.

Yirenkyi sat on the bench in Nordsjælland's first two matches in the 2024–25 Danish Superliga.[9][10] His debut, however, came on 20 September 2024, when he replaced Peter Ankersen in the 85th minute in a match against Viborg FF.[11][12]

On 2 February 2025, Nordsjælland confirmed that Yirenkyi had been permanently promoted to the first team squad and had signed a new contract until the end of 2029.[13] Yirenkyi quickly established himself in the team right after his contract extension, starting in the first three matches of the year. His performances led to the media beginning to draw comparisons between him and Michael Essien.[14][15] In October that year, he extended his contract with Nordsjælland again, now valid until summer 2030.[16]

International career

In May 2025, Yirenkyi received his first call-up to the Ghana senior national team for the 2025 Unity Cup.[17] He made his debut on 28 May 2025 against Nigeria, coming on at the start of the second half in a 1–2 defeat.[18] On 2 June, he was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[19] He scored his first international goal on the same day in a 1–1 draw against Wales.[20] On 17 June, he scored a stoppage-time goal on his World Cup debut, securing a 1–0 win over Panama and becoming the second-youngest player to score for Ghana at a World Cup behind Haminu Draman.[21][22] The 95th minute strike was also Ghana's latest ever goal scored in regulation time at a World Cup.[22]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 17 May 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Danish Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Nordsjælland 2024–25 Danish Superliga 17 2 1 0 — 18 2
2025–26 Danish Superliga 30 2 4 0 — 34 2
Career total 47 4 5 0 0 0 52 4

International

As of match played 17 June 2026[23]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Ghana 2025 8 0
2026 4 2
Total 12 2

Scores and results list Ghana's goal tally first.[23]

List of international goals scored by Caleb Yirenkyi
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 2 June 2026 Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales 11  Wales 1–0 1–1 Friendly
2 17 June 2026 BMO Field, Toronto, Canada 12  Panama 1–0 1–0 2026 FIFA World Cup

Honours

Individual

  • Danish Superliga Young Player of the Year 2025–26[24]
  • Danish Superliga Young Player of the Month: August 2025,[25] February 2026[26]
  • Danish Superliga Team of the Year: 2025–26[27]

References

  1. ^ Caleb Yirenkyi at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ "Portræt: Den dedikerede Caleb Yirenkyi" [Portrait: The dedicated Caleb Yirenkyi]. FC Nordsjælland (in Danish). 5 April 2025. Archived from the original on 5 April 2025. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  3. ^ FC Nordsjælland tilknytter nyt talent fra Ghana, bold.dk, 3 March 2024
  4. ^ Caleb Yirenkyi: Another Graduate Joins FC Nordsjælland, righttodream.com, 2 May 2024
  5. ^ Ny midtbanespiller på akademiet: Caleb Yirenkyi, fcn.dk, 2 May 2024
  6. ^ Her er truppen til sommerens træningslejr, fcn.dk, 3 July 2024
  7. ^ De unge drenge på træningslejren, fcn.dk, 9 July 2024
  8. ^ FCN giver syv talenter chancen på førsteholdet, tipsbladet.dk, 26 June 2024
  9. ^ Nordsjælland vs. AaB 3 - 0, soccerway.com, 19 July 2024
  10. ^ Nordsjælland vs. Midtjylland 2 - 2, soccerway.com, 27 July 2024
  11. ^ Viborg vs. Nordsjælland 3 - 2, soccerway.com, 20 September 2024
  12. ^ Der var debut til 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐛 𝐘𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐤𝐲𝐢 i aftenens kamp 🔴🟡⁠, instagram.com, 20 September 2024
  13. ^ Academy to Superliga: Caleb Yirenkyi, fcn.dk, 2 February 2025
  14. ^ New Michael Essien? Ghanaian Wonderkid Caleb Yirenkyi, yen.com.gh, 1 March 2025
  15. ^ Her er FC Nordsjællands nye lokomotiv, altomfuresoe.dk, 21 February 2025
  16. ^ "Caleb Yirenkyi forlænger til sommeren 2030". fcn.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  17. ^ 8 FCN spillere på A-landsholdsopgaver, fcn.dk, 27 May 2025
  18. ^ Caleb Yirenkyi impresses with assured 45 minutes on debut at right-back, ghanasoccernet.com, 28 May 2025
  19. ^ "Carlos Queiroz names 2026 FIFA World Cup squad". Ghana Football Association. 2 June 2026. Archived from the original on 2 June 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  20. ^ "FCN-stjerne hyldes: - Kan blive en af de bedste på landsholdet" (in Danish). TV2 Danmark. 3 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
  21. ^ Rindl, Joe (17 June 2026). "Ghana 1–0 Panama". BBC Sport.
  22. ^ a b King, Oliver (17 June 2026). "Ghana 1-0 Panama Stats: Yirenkyi's Last-Gasp Winner Snatches Priceless Group L Win". theanalyst.com. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  23. ^ a b "Caleb Yirenkyi". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  24. ^ "FCN-stjerne vinder pris" (in Danish). TV2 Danmark. 16 May 2026. Retrieved 16 May 2026.
  25. ^ "Caleb Yirenkyi named Danish Superliga Young Player of the Month for August". Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  26. ^ Bech, Malthe (2 March 2026). "Caleb Yirenkyi vinder SL-pris" [Caleb Yirenkiy wins Superliga award]. Bold (in Danish). Archived from the original on 2 March 2026. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
  27. ^ "Thomas Jørgensen på Årets Hold i 3F Superliga" (in Danish). Viborg FF. 29 May 2026. Retrieved 29 May 2026.