Will Estevao’s Club World Cup audition see him fast tracked in to Enzo Maresca’s plans?

Fireworks sparkled in the night sky. The pungent aromas of hot dogs and popcorn permeated the summer air. Throngs of Chelsea and Palmeiras supporters poured into Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Independence Day. After several days of building anticipation, it was finally time for the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal.
By Zach Lowy
Despite Chelsea’s star-studded line-up featuring the likes of Marc Cucurella, Enzo Fernández and Liam Delap, the player who piqued the most interest of the Chelsea fans wasn’t wearing a white shirt, but a green shirt. Exactly 12 days after signing a long-term contract with Chelsea for €34 million plus €23 million in performance-based incentives, it was finally time for Estêvão Willian Almeida de Oliveira Gonçalves to showcase his skills in front of his future fanbase.
Cole Palmer broke the deadlock within a quarter-hour for a Chelsea side that poured on the pressure and pinned Palmeiras deep into their own half. But rather than break, the Brazilian side merely bent, patiently weathering the storm and entering the interval with a one-goal deficit. And in the 53rd minute, Estêvão latched onto a low cross from Richard Ríos, holding off Levi Colwill and keeping the ball under his custody. Despite being kept at arm’s length and despite having a nearly impossible shooting angle, Estêvão launched a potent shot off the crossbar and into the back of the net, bamboozling Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez in the process.

The 18-year-old Brazilian prodigy delivered a memorable audition on and off the ball, completing 13 out of 19 passes (four into the final third), winning two out of two tackles, and registering five recoveries. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough to prolong his Palmeiras career, with a late own goal seeing Chelsea progress to the semifinals, but it was enough to see him win his second Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match award of the tournament. And maybe, just maybe, it will be enough to see him avoid going out on loan to Strasbourg or another team and instead fast-track him into Chelsea’s first team for the 2025/26 season.
“Estêvão is a very quick, technically gifted player who’s very good in 1v1 situations and boasts superb finishing ability, and who’s always demanding the ball,” stated Brazilian journalist Pedro Cunha. “At Palmeiras, his main weapon was cutting inside from the right flank and firing at goal. His three main strengths are ball control, dribbling and velocity. He’s a kid with a lot of quality, and if everything goes right, he will become one of the greatest players in the history of Brazilian football.”

Born in Franca, Brazil, Estêvão spent four years at Cruzeiro’s academy before making the move to Palmeiras in 2021. It didn’t take long before Estêvão started to make a name for himself in the Verdão’s youth set-up, with his low centre of gravity and technical finesse enabling him to evade a tackle at a moment’s notice and make short, calculated touches whilst keeping the ball glued to his feet. Estêvão’s precocious talents quickly took the nation by storm, becoming the youngest player to sign a professional contract with Nike at 10 years old and earning a plethora of individual and team trophies at youth level.
It’s this combination of mature decision-making and God-given talent that saw him earn the ‘Messinho’ nickname during his time in Palmeiras’ youth set-up, before eventually ascending to the senior team. Two months after scoring a hat-trick against São Paulo in the Brasileiro Sub-17 Final, Estêvão became the fourth-youngest player to debut for Palmeiras, helping them to secure their second-straight league title with a 1-1 draw vs. Cruzeiro on December 7, 2023. He hasn’t looked back ever since, winning the Campeonato Paulista, being named to the Brasileirão’s Team of the Season, and claiming the Best Newcomer award for the 2024 Campeonato Brasileiro season. Estêvão instantaneously emerged as one of the first names on Abel Ferreira’s team sheet, becoming the third-youngest player to score for Palmeiras and registering 27 goals and 15 assists in 83 appearances in all competitions.
Whilst he has occasionally been utilised as a No. 10 and a left winger, his bread and butter is on the right side of attack, where he can slice through traffic and push the team forward with his mazy dribbles and unpredictable changes of direction. And although he is often the centre of attention, he also demonstrates a magnanimity that belies his tender age, stretching the opposing defence with his unwavering runs and playing adroit one-twos to unleash his teammate into attacking areas. Capable of dropping his shoulder and accelerating into overdrive, Estêvão thrives at creating separation from his defenders and leaving them hoodwinked with his audacity and trickery.

But although he has announced himself as one of the top talents in world football, there are certain things that he must improve on as he looks to compete with the likes of Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto for a starting spot in Enzo Maresca’s attack. “Estêvão was known as a player who only performs against small teams. He didn’t score in any Clássico [games against Santos, São Paulo or Corinthians], and his first goal in a big game came vs. Chelsea,” stated Cunha.
“He needs to improve a lot in his maturity and his coolness on the pitch, because the Palmeiras fanbase always complained that he disappeared in high-pressure matches…he struggled to repeat the success that he had vs. teams like Cuiabá and Bahia whenever he faced off against bigger sides like Flamengo. I also think that he needs to improve on his weaker foot…whereas he excels at pushing the ball towards his left foot, that same quality isn’t seen whenever he works it from his left to his right.”
At 18 years of age, Estêvão has already emerged as a vital player for not just Palmeiras but the Brazilian national team, making five appearances for the Seleção and starting in Carlo Ancelotti’s first match as Brazil manager. He’s already followed in the footsteps of Pelé, Neymar, Ronaldinho and Luis Suárez by winning the Bola de Ouro, given to the best player of the Campeonato Brasileiro season. But now, can he make the step up to European football and deliver on his lofty price tag?
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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