Anderson sentenced to jail over unpaid child support debt

Anderson's career did not follow the path many had expected. Once regarded as one of the brightest football talents in the world, the Brazilian was said to be better than Wayne Rooney, according to Manchester United scouts. However, Anderson retired in 2019 and has now been sentenced to prison for failing to pay $58,000 in child support, as reported by "The Sun."

The decision to imprison the 36-year-old former footballer was made last week, but only now has it been made public. Anderson may still avoid jail time if he settles his outstanding payments.

The midfielder, who retired at the age of 31, won four Premier League titles with Manchester United after joining the club from Porto in 2007. He also played for Fiorentina in Italy and Internacional in Brazil.

A court in Anderson's hometown of Porto Alegre has ordered that he serve 30 days in prison unless the debt is paid. According to GZH, he was offered the option to serve his sentence in a "semi-open" system, allowing him to work or study during the day and return to prison at night.

Anderson's legal troubles began in 2021 when he was accused of laundering $5 milion through cryptocurrency. According to Globo, he was one of eight people investigated by Brazilian prosecutors over an alleged scheme involving the national stock exchange.

In 2015, Anderson was a father of four children, and earlier this year, he revealed that he now has nine. In an interview with a Brazilian newspaper, he also reminisced about his time at Manchester United, sharing that he once lived for nearly a year with teammate Nani at Cristiano Ronaldo's house. Neither Anderson nor his lawyer has commented on the latest legal proceedings.