Brazilian footballer (born 2000)
Matheus and the second or paternal family name is dos
Santos. In this Portuguese name , the 🌜 first or maternal family name isand the second or
paternal family name is
Antony Matheus dos Santos (born 24 February 2000), 🌜 simply known
as Antony, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a right winger for
Premier League club Manchester 🌜 United and the Brazil national team.
Antony graduated
from the São Paulo academy and made his senior debut for the club 🌜 in 2024. He moved
abroad to Ajax in the summer of 2024, where he won two Eredivisie titles and one 🌜 KNVB
Cup during his two seasons. Antony's performances in the Netherlands led to a transfer
worth €95 million (£82 million) 🌜 to Manchester United, the highest sum paid for an
Eredivisie player.
Antony won a gold medal with the Brazil under-23 team 🌜 at the 2024
Summer Olympics. He then made his senior international debut and scored against
Venezuela in October 2024, going 🌜 on to represent Brazil at the 2024 FIFA World
Cup.
Club career
São Paulo
Youth
He began playing football at an early age, and 🌜 he was
soon spotted by São Paulo, who offered him a contract in 2010, aged 10, where he was
inducted 🌜 into their youth academy.[3] During his youth years, Antony struggled for game
time and was close to being dismissed from 🌜 the club's youth ranks, but the staff
convinced his manager to keep him. While in the youth academy, Antony met 🌜 Helinho and
Igor Gomes, becoming good friends in the process. In September 2024, Antony helped his
team win the J-League 🌜 Challenge tournament in Japan, being named the tournament's best
player.[4]
2024: Rise to the first team
Later that month, on 26 September, 🌜 Antony,
alongside Helinho and Igor Gomes, was promoted to the senior team,[5] and he signed a
contract until September 2024.[4] 🌜 On 15 November, he made his first-team debut, coming
on as a substitute for Helinho in a 1–1 draw against 🌜 Grêmio.[6] He was immediately
demoted to the club's under-20 team, in order to take part in the Copa São Paulo 🌜 de
Futebol Júnior, which his team won, scoring in the final against Vasco da Gama, while
also being named the 🌜 tournament's best player, for his 4 goals and 6 assists in 9 games
he played in the competition.[7]
2024–20: Campeonato Paulista 🌜 success and final
seasons
Following his impressive displays in the tournament, Antony returned to the
first team, and with São Paulo 🌜 struggling in the Campeonato Paulista, he began
receiving more first-team minutes. He scored his first goal on 21 March, in 🌜 a 1–1 draw
against São Caetano, with the Tricolor conceding a goal in stoppage time. He
immediately stood out as 🌜 one of the revelations of the competition, scoring two goals,
including one in the final against Corinthians a month later, 🌜 where his side lost 2–1
on aggregate.[8] On 18 July, he agreed to an extension until 2024.[9][10]
On 5 March
2024, 🌜 Antony made his debut in the Copa Libertadores, starting in São Paulo's 2–1 loss
to Peruvian side Binacional.[11] Following the 🌜 outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the
season was halted for various months, and as such Antony made his last appearance 🌜 for
the club on 14 March, featuring in the 2–1 victory over rivals Santos in the San-São
derby.[12]
Ajax
2024–21: Development and 🌜 adaptation to the Netherlands
On 23 February
2024, Ajax signed Antony on a five-year deal, effective from 1 July 2024, for 🌜 an
initial £13 million, which could rise to £18.2 million.[13] He made his debut for the
club on 13 September 🌜 2024, scoring the only goal of an away win over Sparta
Rotterdam.[14] He made his debut in the UEFA Champions 🌜 League on 27 October, in a 2–2
draw against Atalanta, leaving the field in the 90th minute, following a collision 🌜 with
Ruslan Malinovskyi,[15] before scoring his first goal in the competition on 3 November
2024, in a 2–1 away win 🌜 over Midtjylland.[16]
During the 2024–21 season, Antony
competed with David Neres for a spot in the starting line-up, eventually winning his
🌜 place, contributing to 46 appearances, and finishing the season with 11 goals and 10
assists, including a goal in the 🌜 3–1 defeat of Vitesse in the domestic cup final,
helping Ajax win the domestic double of the Eredivisie and the 🌜 KNVB Cup.[18]
2024–22:
Breakthrough and second Eredivisie title
The following season, despite the signings of
Mohamed Daramy and Steven Berghuis, Antony kept 🌜 his place in the starting line-up, and
with his two goals and five assists against Sporting CP and Borussia Dortmund, 🌜 Ajax
became the first Dutch club to win all six Champions League group games in the
competition's history.[19] His three 🌜 goals and one assist earned him the league's
Player of the Month and Talent of the Month award for December.[20] 🌜 On 20 March, Antony
scored a dramatic late winner in a 3–2 victory against De Klassieker rivals Feyenoord
in Eredivisie, 🌜 being five minutes into the added time, before being sent off, after
receiving a second yellow card seconds later for 🌜 time wasting.[21]
Nine days later,
while on international duty for Brazil national team, during a World Cup qualification
match, Antony suffered 🌜 an ankle injury, which ruled him out for the remainder of the
season. He ended the campaign with 12 goals 🌜 and 10 assists, as Ajax retained their
Eredivisie title.[22]
August 2024: Desire to leave Ajax
"I was very happy in Amsterdam,
I 🌜 won titles at Ajax, made friends and built part of my career, but now I reinforce
that I am ready 🌜 and full of motivation to follow my story and my dreams. People need to
listen to me and understand that 🌜 my motivation moves me towards happiness." — Antony on
his decision to leave Ajax in an interview with Fabrizio Romano 🌜 on 26 August
2024.[23]
Following his return from injury against Fortuna Sittard on 6 August, the
2024–23 season was preceded by 🌜 a dispute over the desire for Antony to leave Ajax.
After Ajax rejected the interest expressed by Manchester United for 🌜 Antony's service,
including an €85 million transfer bid, he failed to turn up to training, being left out
of the 🌜 matchdays squads against Sparta Rotterdam and Utrecht.[24] In an interview,
Antony revealed that he had wanted to leave in February, 🌜 but he waited to the end of
the summer window for the transfer to proceed, rejecting a contract renewal from 🌜 Ajax
in order to "follow his dreams".[23]
Manchester United
On 30 August 2024, Ajax
confirmed they had reached an agreement with Manchester 🌜 United for Antony's
transfer.[25][26] Two days later, Antony signed a five-year contract for a transfer fee
of €95 million (£82 🌜 million), with a further €5 million (£4.27 million) in add-ons, the
third highest transfer fee ever paid by the club 🌜 after Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku and
this was Ajax's and the Eredivisie's biggest transfer ever.[27][28][29] Upon his
arrival at 🌜 the club he was handed the number 21 shirt previously worn by Edinson
Cavani, who had recently departed the club.[30]
On 🌜 4 September, he scored on his debut
for the club in a 3–1 home league victory over rivals Arsenal.[31] He 🌜 scored again in
United's next league match, a 6–3 defeat to local rivals Manchester City on 2
October.[32] The next 🌜 week, he scored for a third successive league game to equalise
the score at Everton, as United won 2–1, becoming 🌜 the first United player to score in
their first three consecutive Premier League games.[33][34]
On 23 February 2024, he
also scored 🌜 the winner in a 2–1 Europa League playoff match, coming on as a substitute
at half time, versus Barcelona, a 🌜 day before his 23rd birthday.[35] On 26 February,
Antony started in the 2024 EFL Cup final as Manchester United beat 🌜 Newcastle United 2–0
at Wembley Stadium, winning his first trophy with the club.[36]
International
career
Youth
On 15 May 2024, he was named 🌜 in the Brazil under-23 squad for the 2024
Toulon Tournament, helping his team win the competition, scoring two goals, including
🌜 one in the final against Japan.[37]
On 17 June 2024, Antony was named in the Brazil
under-23 squad for the 2024 🌜 Summer Olympics.[38] He started in all of Brazil's six
games at the tournament.[39] In the final against Spain, he assisted 🌜 Malcom's winning
goal in extra-time as Brazil won the title.[40] He scored six goals in 22 games for the
under-23 🌜 team.[41]
Senior
Antony made his debut for the Brazil national football team
on 7 October 2024 in a World Cup qualifier against 🌜 Venezuela. He came on as a
substitute in the 77th minute and scored a goal in added time to establish 🌜 the final
score of 3–1 for Brazil.[42] On 7 November 2024, he was named in the squad for the 2024
🌜 FIFA World Cup.[43]
On 4 September 2024, Antony was removed from Brazil's squad for
2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against 🌜 Bolivia and Peru following
allegations of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend.[44][45]
Personal
life
Family
Antony was born in Osasco, São Paulo, and grew 🌜 up in Inferninho, a favela
far from the city centre. Growing up, he would play football wherever he could on 🌜 the
streets or in his house, combining his love of futsal with street football and
regularly attending São Paulo matches 🌜 with his aunt.[46] He is of Portuguese
descent.[47]
Domestic violence allegations
On 4 September 2024, Antony was removed from
Brazil's squad for 🌜 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Bolivia and Peru
following allegations of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend, with Brazilian
🌜 media outlet Universo Online reporting the existence of photos showing the
ex-girlfriend having injuries to her head and her hand 🌜 as the Greater Manchester Police
begin to investigate the case.[44] Amidst two other women also stepping up to accuse
Antony 🌜 of assault, he went on to firmly deny the allegations on Brazilian network SBT
on 9 September, claiming that he 🌜 will "provide the proof and people will
understand".[48] On 10 September, Manchester United issued a club statement
acknowledging the allegations 🌜 and announcing that an agreement with Antony was in place
to grant him an extended leave of absence following the 🌜 international break as he dealt
with the situation.[49]
Career statistics
Club
As of match played 30 December
2024[39]
Appearances and goals by club, season 🌜 and competition Club Season League State
league[a] National cup[b] League cup[c] Continental Other Total Division Apps Goals
Apps Goals Apps 🌜 Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals São Paulo 2024 Série
A 3 0 0 0 0 0 🌜 — 0 0 — 3 0 2024 Série A 29 4 14 2 1 0 — 1[d] 0 — 45 🌜 6 2024 Série A 0 0 2
0 0 0 — 2[d] 0 — 4 0 Total 32 4 16 🌜 2 1 0 — 3 0 — 52 6 Ajax 2024–21 Eredivisie 32 9 — 4
1 — 10[e] 1 🌜 — 46 11 2024–22 Eredivisie 23 8 — 3 2 — 7[f] 2 0 0 33 12 2024–23 Eredivisie
2 🌜 1 — — — — 1[g] 1 3 2 Total 57 18 — 7 3 — 17 3 1 1 🌜 82 25 Manchester United 2024–23
Premier League 25 4 — 5 1 5 1 9[h] 2 — 44 8 2024–24 🌜 Premier League 16 0 — 0 0 1 0 4[f]
0 — 21 0 Total 41 4 — 5 1 🌜 6 1 13 2 — 65 8 Career total 130 26 16 2 13 4 6 1 33 5 1 🌜 1
199 39
International
As of match played 25 March 2024[50]
Appearances and goals by
national team and year National team Year Apps 🌜 Goals Brazil 2024 5 1 2024 10 1 2024 1 0
Total 16 2
Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally 🌜 first, score column indicates
score after each Antony goal.[50]
Honours
Ajax
Manchester United
Brazil
U23
Individual
References
