Few transfers have aged as badly as Manchester United's €95 million move for Antony in 2022. Few rescues have worked as quickly as the one Real Betis pulled off in 2025. The same left-footed winger sits at the centre of both stories, and at 26 he is still young enough for the second one to define him.
That is the interesting part. The easy version of Antony's career is a punchline about spinning on the ball. The more accurate version is about a player who lost his footing in England, found it again in Spain, and still wasn't picked for the 2026 World Cup.
Antony at a glance
| Full name | Antony Matheus dos Santos |
|---|---|
| Born | February 24, 2000 (age 26) |
| Birthplace | Osasco, Sao Paulo, Brazil |
| Position | Right winger, left-footed |
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Club | Real Betis (La Liga), shirt number 7 |
| Contract | Runs to June 30, 2030 |
| Previous clubs | Sao Paulo FC, Ajax, Manchester United |
| Brazil | 16 caps, 2 goals; 2022 World Cup; Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 |
| Market value | Around €40 million (estimate, mid 2026) |
| Net worth | $28 million to $30 million (Icon Polls estimate) |
Osasco to the Sao Paulo first team
Antony grew up in Osasco, part of greater Sao Paulo, in modest circumstances. Football was the route out, and Sao Paulo FC was the vehicle. He joined the club's academy as a boy and made his senior debut in November 2018 as a substitute against Gremio.
He played two seasons with the first team, making 29 league appearances and scoring four goals. Not a huge return, but the dribbling and the burst of acceleration were obvious. European scouts noticed, and in 2020 Ajax paid a reported €15.75 million to bring him to Amsterdam.
Two seasons of Ten Hag at his best
Ajax is where Antony made sense. Under Erik ten Hag he was given freedom on the right, licence to cut inside onto his left foot, and a team that dominated the ball. He won two Eredivisie titles and a KNVB Cup, played Champions League football, and became one of the most watchable wingers in the Netherlands.
When Ten Hag moved to Old Trafford, United followed him to the player. In August 2022 they paid €95 million, the biggest fee ever received by an Eredivisie club.
The weight of €95 million
The start was perfect. He scored on his debut and found the net in each of his first three Premier League games. Then it stopped. Over two and a half years he managed 12 goals in 96 appearances in all competitions, with only a handful in the league.
Our view: the fee did a lot of the damage. A winger who relies on confidence and repetition was asked to justify one of the biggest price tags in Premier League history every single week, in a struggling side. Once Ruben Amorim replaced Ten Hag, it was clear Antony had no future at the club.
What Seville gave back
In January 2025 he joined Real Betis on loan. The change was immediate. He was named player of the match on his debut against Athletic Bilbao and went on to score nine goals with six assists in 26 appearances. Betis reached the Conference League final and qualified for Europe again, with Antony at the heart of it.
Betis made the deal permanent in September 2025 for a reported €22 million to €25 million, leaving United with a loss of roughly €70 million. He signed through 2030 and kept producing in his first full season, finishing it with double figures in goals for the club across the loan and permanent spells.
There were interruptions. A minor problem in December 2025, a groin injury in January 2026 and a brief setback the following month. None were serious. The bigger fix was mental, and Seville seems to have delivered it.
What he earns, and what he's worth
At United, Antony was reported to earn more than £100,000 a week. He accepted a pay cut to complete the Betis move, and his salary there is reported at around £5.3 million a year. No club has published official figures, so treat both as reported estimates.
Icon Polls estimates his net worth at $28 million to $30 million, based on career wages, his Premier League years, endorsements and his current contract. His market value has recovered to an estimated €40 million on major valuation platforms, well below what United paid but well above what Betis did.
Left out in a World Cup summer
The comeback had one painful omission. Despite his form at Betis, Antony was not included in Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup. Brazil's attacking pool is crowded, and he lost out to a long list of established names.
He responded publicly with some grace, saying he was sad but proud of his season, that he would be supporting the players selected, and that the dream of another World Cup was still alive. He already has one, Qatar 2022, plus an Olympic gold medal from Tokyo. At 26, the next cycle is realistic if Betis remains the right fit.
Family, kept offstage
Antony speaks warmly about the family that sacrificed for his football as a boy in Osasco, and he has credited them with keeping him grounded through the hard years in Manchester. Beyond that, he keeps his private life private, and we don't think it is our job to fill the gaps with speculation about partners or children.
Where does a career like this one rank among the game's greats? Not near the top yet, but you can have your say on the players who are in our vote for the best football players of all time.
Three things readers ask
How much did Manchester United pay for Antony, and how much did Betis pay?
United paid €95 million to Ajax in August 2022. Betis signed him permanently in September 2025 for a reported €22 million to €25 million.
What is Antony's net worth in 2026?
Icon Polls estimates it at $28 million to $30 million. There is no official figure.
Is Antony at the 2026 World Cup?
No. He was left out of Brazil's squad, though he played at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
