Estevao Willian was in tears on the Philadelphia pitch. But then everything changed. The teenager had the cruel combination of being player of the match for a losing side in the Club World Cup quarter-final, as his Palmeiras side lost to Chelsea via a late own goal.
But his tears turned into smiles, as those who consoled the disappointed youngster were not his own team-mates, but his future ones on the opposition. Club World Cup fixtures, schedule and datesSky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next seasonNot got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW 📺Cole Palmer was the first player to greet Estevao.
Liam Delap and Dario Essugo joined him in congratulating the teenager they are about to link up with, with the player having sealed a £29.1m move to Stamford Bridge last year. I told him we are excited for him to join, Palmer later told the media.
We can see he is a top player. That was because Chelsea were made to sweat by the player set to join them after this tournament. The teenager took the ball in his stride to fire an equaliser past Robert Sanchez from an impossible angle down the right.
It was Lionel Messi-esque from the teenager – which is apt given his nickname of Messinho or Little Messi – one that has followed him since he turned out for the Cruzeiro academy. In terms of Estevao, we could be talking about a phenomenon, South American expert Tim Vickery tells Sky Sports.
And that is not the only comparison to the legendary Argentine. He is slightly built, left-footed, all is tied to that left foot. And like Messi, hes not a performing seal. I remember seeing Messi at 17 and the thing that really stood out was his appreciation of space.
He wasnt doing tricks around 40 yards from goal. It was the capacity to attack, identify the vulnerable space in the opposing defence. You look at Estevaos build physically, you wouldnt expect him to be attacking that space and competing in that space.
But he does. Perhaps a more exact comparison is Rodrygo of Real Madrid. Estevao is a left-footed version of him. Slightly built, very fluid. Hes like on water when hes carrying the ball – full of changes of pace and rhythm.
That was the case for Estevaos goal against his future employers Chelsea, but there were plenty of other high-quality moments too. The Brazilian lined up in the central attacking midfield role and ran the show, but quite often popped up on the right to take on Marc Cucurella.
There was attacking flair, but also maturity in the display too. Estevao was not afraid to come deep and carry the ball in deep areas. As well as his on-ball quality, his off-the-ball work has been recognised too.
It is why Abel Ferreira – Estevaos coach at Palmeiras – wanted to keep him until 2027. I really think this player is unlike anything Ive ever seen, said the coach before his Chelsea move was finalised.
A boy who defends, attacks, shows himself in the game. In part its mentality, adds Vickery about what Ferreira likes most about Estevao. He uses Estevao as an example to the other youth players. He gets the ball, it doesnt come off, but his head never drops and he gets back up and tries again.
Hes not a luxury player, although he is slightly built, they love his ability to combine. Hes an individual with great talent, hes not an individualist. Hes got a great vision of the game. Hes able to work back and help out the full-back as well.
Its the range of his talents, the strength of his mentality that has charmed the Palmeiras coach. Against Chelsea, it was a performance filled with a point to prove. Not that he needed it though – Estevaos performance against the Blues was his third player-of-the-match award of the tournament.
But how does he translate these displays into the Premier League? Is there any space for him in Enzo Marescas squad? With Palmer, who scored Chelseas opener before Estevao took over the show, plus Joao Pedro and Enzo Fernandez in the attacking midfield roles, that No 10 position may have to wait at Chelsea for the teenager.
But the right-wing spot could be a position where Estevao may get more joy. Ferreira described Estevao as one of the best players he has ever seen – and it is worth remembering he used to manage Pedro Neto, who is currently the front-runner in that right-wing role at Chelsea.
Estevaos arrival could also create doubts over Noni Maduekes future – with Arsenal interested in the Chelsea winger – though he can also operate from the left, so may still have a role to play. Patience may still be needed with regards to Estevao – given Palmeiras youngsters have had a mixed record in terms of making immediate impacts straight away in England.
Gabriel Jesus hit the ground running at Manchester City, but Vitor Reis has needed more time to settle in at the Etihad Stadium. So has Luis Guilherme at West Ham, who is still getting up to speed with everything.
But none of those players were branded as a phenomenon. One of the reasons that he chose Chelsea was he was told that he wasnt going to be loaned out, hes going to be in competition for a first-team place right away, says Vickery.
Estevao has enjoyed a meteoric rise from obscurity last season to fame across the world. Given he has already shown he can damage Premier League opposition, he is one to watch for next season. Sky Sports to show 215 live Premier League games from next season From next season, Sky Sports Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.
And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games next season are on Sky Sports.
