Sean Garnier

Born on June 18, 1984, in Sens, France, Arnaud ‘Séan’ Garnier initially pursued a career in traditional football. He played for notable French clubs such as Auxerre and Troyes. However, his professional football aspirations were curtailed due to a series of injuries. Following this, Garnier pivoted his focus, studying to become a football instructor in 2006. This period marked a significant turning point in his career as he discovered freestyle football, an urban art form combining elements of breakdancing and ball control.

Garnier quickly developed his own distinct style within freestyle football, achieving international recognition within two years of his career start in 2006. In 2008, he earned the title of World Champion at the inaugural Red Bull Street Style World Finals held in São Paulo, Brazil. His routines integrate music, breakdance movements, somersaults, and various football and basketball techniques. He subsequently formed his own team, Street Style Society (S3 Crew), which showcases a combination of freestyle football, freestyle basketball, and other street sports. Garnier is also sponsored by Red Bull and applies his freestyle skills in competitive formats such as street soccer, futsal, and panna.

Garnier’s career progression includes numerous awards and significant appearances. He won the French Freestyle Championship in 2009, 2010, and 2012, and placed first at Styllball Beach Style in Dubai in 2010. In 2014, he participated in a UNICEF alphabetization campaign featuring Magic System’s song “Magic in the Air.” He also gained attention for an advertising campaign with Mexican retailer Coppel, where he disguised himself as ‘Abuelo Memo’ to surprise players in a local five-a-side match. Garnier played Premier Futsal in India in 2016 and was part of the French team at the World’s First International Street Soccer Championships, World Street 3s, in the same year. In 2018, he was crowned World Champion at the WFL in India.