Estevao shines from Chelsea to Brazil: Neymar's challenger

Estevao is living special days when he explodes with Chelsea and the Brazilian team, threatening Neymar's role at the 2026 World Cup.

Estevao Moments

At the age of 18, Estevao Willian is going through the days where every match turns into a memorable milestone.

On October 4, he scored the decisive goal in the 90+5 minute, helping Chelsea beat Liverpool 2-1 at Stamford Bridge - a result that caused Arne Slot's team to fall into a series of 3 consecutive defeats in all competitions.

Estevao after scoring against Liverpool. Photo: Imago

Soon after, he scored a double against South Korea, becoming the youngest player to score two goals for Brazil since 1961.

Two interconnected moments that paint the picture of a new generation – where South American creativity meets European discipline, and where Estevao is emerging as an icon.

If the goal against Liverpool helped Chelsea revive their faith under Enzo Maresca, then the performance in Brazil's shirt left the whole samba country stunned.

In Seoul, his opening goal was woven from 16 passes through the legs of nine players, a testament to the collective football that “Canarinha” is rebuilding under Carlo Ancelotti.

It is no longer Brazil of solitary dribbling, but a collective of harmony, where individuals only shine when they are part of the general flow. Estevao understood that earlier than Neymar.

Comparisons are inevitable. Neymar, at 18, has already taken the world by storm with his skill and spontaneity.

Estevao was once labelled an “individualista” in his youth football. That has improved: less showmanship, more discipline. He doesn’t look for the samba to show off, but to open up space for his teammates.

While Neymar is still struggling with injury and has not been called up by Ancelotti, Estevao has gradually taken the spotlight with his own style, durable, effective and not lacking in improvisation.

Estevao scored a historic double in Korea. Photo: Imago

Not only Brazil, but all of Europe is watching the way he moves – as light as walking on the sand at home beach, yet as precise as drawing with a compass.

Threatening Neymar's position

Two Italian coaches played a decisive role in that journey. Enzo Maresca, with his philosophy of tight ball possession and almost obsessive tactical structure, helped Estevao learn to play “for the team first, for himself later”, as well as increase his pressing ability.

Ancelotti , with the calm demeanor of a strategist who has been through all the peaks, taught him patience – that talent only truly blossoms when you know how to wait for the right time.

Both, in their own way, are turning a talented boy into a mature-minded professional player.

At Chelsea, Maresca believes Estevao will be the bright spot in the rebuilding process. The former Palmeiras player is not only a spark on the right wing, but also a link between midfield and attack – where every combination has his mark.

Estevao doesn't run the most, but he runs the most accurately. He doesn't need to touch the ball constantly, but every touch counts.

In the locker room, his senior players called him “little angel” – not because of his baby face, but because of the way he made everyone around him believe in something better.

Estevao is making great progress with his Italian coaches. Photo: Imago

Meanwhile in Brazil, people are starting to wonder: if Estevao continues like this, where will the 2026 World Cup leave Neymar?

That question is not a betrayal, but a testament to the change of Canarinha after a time of crisis – where the new generation wants to be recognized not only by name, but by the way they respect discipline, the collective and the common goal.

Moreover, Neymar is no longer young (about to turn 34) and has never had any luck with the World Cup.

For Estevao, the road ahead is still long. But in the modern world of football, where everything is exaggerated and consumed too quickly, he is an exception: a talent in no hurry to grow, but maturing by the hour.

Legends Zico, Romario and Cafu have all praised Estevao’s progress. The young man nicknamed “Messinho” is expected to continue to shine in the match against Japan (5:30 p.m. on October 14).

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/estevao-toa-sang-tu-chelsea-den-tuyen-brazil-ke-thach-thuc-neymar-2451900.html