Antony (footballer, born 2000)

In Brazil, Antony climbed the ladder of the club of the city of São Paulo, assimilating the U20 team to the championships of Japan (2018) (J-League Challenge)^[9] and Brazil (2019) (Copa São Paulo de Juniores).^[10] In November 2018, he made his senior debut, and shortly became a regular in the first team,^[11] having a reputation as a right wing, albeit at breakneck speed and with trickery.^[12]

Antony joined Dutch giants Ajax in February 2020 at a starting fee of 15.75 million.^[13] He was a promising young talent in Europe under a new manager Erik ten Hag.^[14] He is the winner of two Eredivisie (2020-21, 2021-22) and KNVB Cup.^[15] His playing at the UEFA champions league especially his skills in taking on the defenders one on one attracted the attention of the top clubs in Europe.^[16]

On 1 September 2022, after trailing Ten Hag to Manchester United, Antony was sold to the club at a record fee of 95 million in the Eredivisie (82 million).^[17] He has made history by scoring in his first three consecutive premier league matches.^[18]

• Trophies and honours: winner of the EFL Cup (2023)^[19] and the FA Cup (2024).^[20]
• Challenges: His tenure was characterized by inconsistency and off-field lawsuits^[21] though it was interrupted by outbursts of brilliance.^[22] After the appointment of Ruben Amorim in late 2024, Antony dropped out of the starting rotation.^[23]

Antony went out on loan to Real Betis in January 2025 to find his feet again. The transfer was a "career resurgence".^[24] in six months he scored 14 goals and 6 assists that saw Betis qualify for Europa League.^[25] In September 2025, Betis acquired the move permanently at an approximate of £19 million.^[26] By March 2026, he is an important player to the Spanish team, and in particular, he contributed to them getting to a European final.^[27]