# Franco Tongya

Franco Daryl Tongya Heubang (born 13 March 2002) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Serie B club Salernitana.

## Club career
### Early career

Born in Turin, Italy, to Cameroonian parents, Tongya began his youth career at Brandizzo when he was about four years old, before moving to Juventus' youth sector in 2009 aged seven. In 2016–17 he captained the under-15 side, helping them win the league title.
Tongya made his Serie C debut for Juventus U23 – the reserve team of Juventus – on 28 September 2020, in a 2–1 win over Pro Sesto. He played 10 league games in the first half of the 2020–21 season.

### Marseille

On 28 January 2021, Tongya joined Ligue 1 Marseille in a deal worth €8 million, with Marley Aké moving to Juventus for the same fee. He made his debut for the reserve team in the Championnat National 2 on 27 February, as a starter in a 0–0 draw against Rumilly-Vallières.

### Odense Boldklub

On 30 August 2022, Tongya joined Danish side OB on a permanent deal, signing a three-year contract with the club. He subsequently made his debut in the Danish Superliga on 4 September, starting the match against Viborg, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for his team.
On 21 October, Tongya scored his first goal with the club, as well as his first professional goal, in a 3–1 league win against Lyngby. On 10 March 2023, he scored with a bicycle kick in a 2-1 league win over Aalborg: thanks to this achievement, he eventually received the "Goal of the Month" prize by the Superligaen.

#### Loan to AEK Larnaca

On 2 September 2023, Tongya joined Cypriot First Division side AEK Larnaca on a season-long loan. After finishing his loan spell, Tongya returned to Odense.

### Salernitana

On 13 July 2024, Tongya returned to Italy after signing with newly-relegated Serie B club Salernitana.
On 24 August 2024, Tongya made his Salernitana debut in a 3-2 Serie B defeat to Sudtirol.

## International career

Tongya has represented Italy internationally from under-16 to under-19 levels. He played for the under-17 side at the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, playing five games and scoring Italy's winning goal in the semi-finals against Portugal; Italy eventually lost the final to the Netherlands.
Tongya also took part at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil; he played as a starter in all five games and scored a goal in the group stage against the Solomon Islands. Italy were knocked out by hosts Brazil in the quarter-finals.
Both in May and December 2022, he was involved in training camps led by the Italian senior national team's manager, Roberto Mancini, and aimed to the most promising national talents.

## Style of play

Mainly a half-winger (Italian: mezzala), Tongya is also capable of playing as an attacking midfielder, or a winger. He initially started out as a forward, before moving to the midfield. He has been described as a dynamic player, with good tactical intelligence and technical ability.
Tongya cited Cristiano Ronaldo as a source of inspiration.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played 29 December 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Juventus U23 | 2020–21 | Serie C | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Marseille II | 2020–21 | National 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Marseille II | 2021–22 | National 2 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 |
| OB | 2022–23 | Danish Superliga | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 2 |
| OB | 2023–24 | Danish Superliga | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 3 |
| AEK Larnaca (loan) | 2023–24 | Cypriot First Division | 30 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 32 | 7 |
| Salernitana | 2024–25 | Serie B | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 2 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 80 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 83 | 15 |
* ↑ Includes Coppa Italia, Coupe de France, Danish Cup

## Honours

Juventus
* Campionato Giovanissimi Nazionali [it]: 2016–17
Italy U17
* UEFA European Under-17 Championship runners-up: 2019