Anthony Elanga

Manchester United

Youth

Elanga played for Elfsborg and Malmö as a boy in Sweden. After moving to England, he played briefly for local club Hattersley. Elanga was scouted by both Manchester City and Manchester United, but joined United at the age of 12. Elanga debuted for the United under-18s at the age of 15 in a 2–1 away defeat to Liverpool in April 2018. He signed as an academy scholar at United in July 2018, and scored four goals in 22 appearances in his first full season playing for the Under-18s. The following season, Elanga played twice for the Under-21s in the EFL Trophy, both as a substitute. He finished the COVID-shortened season as the Under-18s' top scorer in the league with seven goals in nine appearances, and won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award. He played four times for the club's under-21 side in the 2020–21 EFL Trophy, scoring twice.

2020–2022: Debut and breakthrough

Elanga made his first-team debut for United in a pre-season friendly against Aston Villa ahead of the 2020–21 Premier League season; he came on as a substitute for Marcus Rashford in the 75th minute of a 1–0 defeat. After signing a new long-term contract with the club in March 2021, he was called up to the first team for the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League quarter-final matches against Granada in April, but was an unused substitute in both legs, as well as in the second leg of the semi-final against Roma on 6 May. Elanga made his competitive debut for…

Elanga was eligible to play for Sweden, Cameroon, or England at international level. He has represented Sweden at under-17, under-19, under-21, and senior levels. Elanga played five times for the Sweden under-17 team and scored two goals, both against France in the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He played his first game for the Sweden under-21 team and scored one goal in a friendly against Finland on 3 June 2021. Elanga chose to represent Sweden at a senior level, citing being born and having spent the majority of his life there, as well as the country meaning a lot to him as the reasons behind his decision. He was named in the international squad of Janne Andersson for the World Cup qualifiers against the Czech Republic in March 2022, where he also made his debut as a late-game substitute. Elanga scored his first goal at senior international level on 5 June 2022 in a 1–2 loss against Norway in a 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B game. He scored a goal in Sweden's winning game in the play off finals for the 2026 World Cup against Poland on 31 March 2026. On 12 May 2026, Elanga was named in the Sweden squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. During the tournament's group stage, he scored in the 59th minute of a match against the Netherlands. In the final group match against Japan on 25 June 2026, Elanga scored Sweden's crucial equalizer in a 1–1 draw, securing the team's qualification for the knockout stage (Round of 32).

Elanga is a native speaker of Swedish and English, having moved to England at age 12. Thanks to his Cameroonian heritage, he speaks decent French. His father, Joseph Elanga, is a Cameroonian former professional footballer. He represented the Cameroon national football team and was included in the nation's squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. A defender, Joseph Elanga played for Canon Yaoundé, Malmö FF, as well as clubs in Greece and Denmark. His mother, Daniella Elanga, is also a former footballer who represented the Cameroon women's national football team.

Elanga was born in and spent his early childhood in the Hyllie district of Malmö, Sweden. At the age of 12, he moved with his family to Hattersley in Greater Manchester, where he attended Hyde High School.