Marcos Antônio Silva Santos

Marcos Antônio arrived at São Paulo FC in July 2024, having left home in Poções, Bahia, as a teenager. He passed through Athletico Paranaense's academy without making a senior appearance, then moved to Portugal's Estoril Praia in 2018, where he made his professional debut. Shakhtar Donetsk signed him for €3.5 million the following year, and he went on to make 102 appearances there, scoring nine goals.

Lazio paid €7.5 million for him in 2022, but first-team opportunities in Rome were limited, and he made just 22 appearances across two seasons. A loan to PAOK proved more productive: he became a regular starter and won the Greek Super League with the club in 2023–24.

At São Paulo, where he wears the number 8 shirt, reports have suggested that his form has caught the eye of the senior national team's coaching staff, including Carlo Ancelotti. He has yet to earn a senior cap for Brazil, though he already has youth international pedigree, having been named to the Team of the Tournament at the 2019 South American Youth Championship after coming through Brazil's age-group sides that won continental and BRICS titles at Under-17 level.