Bendito Mantato

Bendito Mantato
Personal information
Full name Bendito Boanova Mantato[1]
Date of birth (2008-01-25) 25 January 2008
Place of birth Manchester, England
Height 1.97 m (6 ft 6 in)[2]
Position(s)
Team information
Current team
Manchester United
Number 70
Youth career
2017–2025 Manchester United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2025– Manchester United 0 (0)
International career
2023 England U15 4 (0)
2023–2024 England U16 6 (0)
2024–2025 England U17 12 (0)
2025– England U18 5 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals
‡ National team caps and goals as of 01:41, 19 November 2025 (UTC)

Bendito Boanova Mantato (born 25 January 2008) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward or a fullback for the academy of Manchester United.[3]

Club career

Mantato joined Manchester United aged nine, in 2017.[4] Since then, he has progressed through various youth levels, and is currently part of the U18 team.[5]

On 28 February, 2025, Mantato scored a 99th minute winner against Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup quarterfinals to help United win the game 3–2.[6]

International career

Of Angolan descent, Mantato is eligible to play for the Angola national team. However, born in England, he has chosen to represent the Three Lions at youth level,[7] making appearances for the U15, U16, and U17 teams.[8]

On 3 September 2025, Mantato made his England U18 debut during a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan.[9]

On 21 October 2025, Mantato was included in the England squad for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[10] He provided an assist for a goal by Luca Williams-Barnett during a group stage victory over Haiti.[11] Mantato also started in their round of sixteen elimination by Austria.[12]

Style of play

Often likened to Bukayo Saka for his playstyle,[13] Mantato has been described as a player who "has bundles of pace, plays with high intensity, and whose dribbling is a huge asset"[14] and as a "versatile player with impressive size for his age and a strong technical base".[15]

References

  1. ^ "2024/25 Updated Premier League squad lists". Premier League. 7 February 2025. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  2. ^ "Bendito Mantato". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
  3. ^ "Bendito Mantato". www.manutd.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2024. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  4. ^ Railston, Steven (9 July 2024). "Man United win race to keep wonderkid after interest from Chelsea and Liverpool". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  5. ^ "Man Utd Academy Squad & Players Profiles | U18 Roster". www.manutd.com. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  6. ^ Flood, George; Collings, Simon (28 February 2025). "Arsenal vs Manchester United LIVE: FA Youth Cup result, match stream and latest updates today". The Standard. Retrieved 2 March 2025.
  7. ^ Smith, Kieran (17 March 2024). "Who is Manchester United's Bendito Mantato? Age, Position, Nationality and more". United In Focus. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  8. ^ "Bendito Mantato". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
  9. ^ Hunt, Holly (3 September 2025). "Report: England MU18s 3-1 Uzbekistan". EnglandFootball.com. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
  10. ^ Veevers, Nicholas (21 October 2025). "England squad named for FIFA U17 World Cup 2025 in Qatar". EnglandFootball.com. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
  11. ^ Sessions, George (7 November 2025). "Luca Williams-Barnett scores superb solo goal for England at Under-17 World Cup". The Independent. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  12. ^ "Austria 4-0 England". ESPN. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  13. ^ Owen, Dan (4 April 2024). "Manchester United may have their own Bukayo Saka as wonderkid is offered contract". United In Focus. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  14. ^ Railston, Steven (14 November 2024). "Man United's wonderkid could be promoted to first-team by Ruben Amorim". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  15. ^ Wilks, Mitchell (7 March 2024). "Manchester United's latest young prodigy is a master of flair by name & nature". Planet Football. Retrieved 3 December 2024.