Antony Matheus dos Santos (born February 24, 2000), also 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 made his senior debut for São Paulo in 2018, after graduating from their academy. In the summer of 2020, he relocated overseas to Ajax, where he spent two seasons winning a KNVB Cup and two Eredivisie titles.
Antony’s accomplishments in the Netherlands resulted in a €95 million (£82 million) transfer to Manchester United, the largest fee ever paid for an Eredivisie player.
Antony won a gold medal for Brazil’s under-23 squad at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He then made his senior international debut and scored against Venezuela in October 2021, before going on to represent Brazil in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Profile Summary
Real Name: Antony Matheus dos Santos
Stage Name: Antony
Birthday: February 24, 2000
Birthplace: Osasco, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Nationality: Brazilian
Religion: Christian
Profession: Professional Football Player
Early Life
Antony was born in Osasco, São Paulo and grew up in Inferninho, a favela located away from the city center.
Growing up, he played football on the streets and at home, combining his passion of futsal with street football and attended São Paulo matches with his aunt. He is of Portuguese heritage.
Career
club career
Antony grew up to be the best soccer player in Sao Paulo by balancing his primary school studies and his passion for football.
When he was 10, he enrolled in Sao Paulo Academy, where he began his soccer career. He continues to train, dreaming of becoming a professional footballer.
He made a mark with his ability and helped his colleague at Sao Paulo Academy win the J League World Challenge.
His professional football career began in 2018, when he joined the Sao Paulo club. He continues to rise and assist Sao Paulo in winning titles.
In 2019, his desire to join a European club is becoming a reality as his name rises up the ranks due to his international performances. In 2020, he received a call from Ajax and signed with them.
Ajax
Antony signed a five-year contract with Ajax on February 23, 2020, for an initial fee of £13 million, which may grow to £18.2 million, beginning July 1, 2020.
On September 13, 2020, he made his club debut by scoring the lone goal in a victory over Sparta Rotterdam on the road.
He made his UEFA Champions League debut on October 27 in a 2-2 draw against Atalanta, leaving the pitch in the 90th minute due to a collision with Ruslan Malinovskyi, before scoring his first goal in the competition on November 3, 2020, in a 2-1 away win against Midtjylland.
Antony competed with David Neres for a spot in the starting lineup during the 2020-21 season, eventually winning it, making 46 appearances and finishing the season with 11 goals and 10 assists, including a goal in Ajax’s 3-1 domestic cup final victory over Vitesse, which helped Ajax win the domestic double of the Eredivisie and the KNVB Cup.
Despite the signings of Mohamed Daramy and Steven Berghuis the following season, Antony remained in the starting lineup, and with two goals and five assists against Sporting CP and Borussia Dortmund, Ajax became the first Dutch club in Champions League history to win all six group games.
His three goals and one assist earned him the league’s Player of the Month and Talent of the Month awards in December.
On March 20, Antony scored a stunning late winner in a 3-2 Eredivisie victory over De Klassieker rivals Feyenoord, five minutes into added time, before being sent off for a second yellow card for time wasting.
Antony suffered an ankle injury nine days later while on international service for the Brazil national team in a World Cup qualification match, ruling him out for the rest of the season.
He finished the season with 12 goals and 10 assists, helping Ajax retain their Eredivisie title. Following his comeback from injury against Fortuna Sittard on August 6, the 2022-23 season was preceded by a controversy about Antony’s desire to leave Ajax.
After Ajax rejected Manchester United’s interest in Antony’s services, including a €85 million transfer bid, he failed to show up for training and was left out of the matchday squads against Sparta Rotterdam and Utrecht.
On August 30, 2022, Ajax announced that they had struck an agreement with Manchester United over Antony’s transfer.
Upon his arrival at the club, he was given the number 21 shirt previously worn by Edinson Cavani, who had recently left.
On September 4, he scored his debut for the club in a 3-1 home league win over rivals Arsenal.
He scored again in United’s following league game, a 6-3 loss to local rivals Manchester City on October 2.
The next week, he scored for the third time in a league game, tying the score at Everton in a 2-1 victory, becoming the first United player to do so.
On February 23, 2023, he also scored the winner in a 2-1 Europa League playoff encounter against Barcelona, coming on as a replacement at halftime, a day before his 23rd birthday.
Antony started in Manchester United’s 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in the 2023 EFL Cup final at Wembley Stadium on February 26, earning his first title with the club.
Antony’s goal drought at Old Trafford ended on March 17, 2024, when he scored in a 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final triumph over Liverpool.
Personal Life
Antony and Rosilene Xavier started dating while Antony was still on the Sao Paulo youth squad. They spanned from 2010 to 2019. The long-term romance led to a private wedding ceremony.
Their marriage, however, did not continue as long as their dating relationship, as Antony got involved in a love affair with DJ Gabriella Cavallin in 2022.
Cavallin informed the media that she is 11 weeks pregnant. Rosilene abandoned her relationship with Antony after he and Cavallin had an affair.
Net Worth
Antony’s net worth in 2024 is $5 million. He is now on a 6-year contract with Manchester United. The club apparently pays him an annual salary of $9.6 million. His market worth is now €75 million.