In December 2023, Estêvão was a 16-year-old teenager who had just played his first game for Palmeiras’ professional team. A year later, the boy, still underage, became Verdão’s main player, became the fifth youngest athlete to debut in the main team (17 years and 135 days) and ended the Brazilian Championship elected revelation and star of the competition in the Silver Ball, the most traditional award in national football – which earned him the title of the earliest Ballon d’Or in the history of the event.
Estêvão finished the Brasileirão with 13 goals and nine assists. The alviverde was second top scorer in the competition, behind strikers Yuri Alberto (Corinthians) and Alerrandro (Vitória), with 15 goals each, in addition to being the second with the most passes to goal, surpassed only by midfielder Rodrigo Garro (Corinthians), with ten.
With 21 appearances in the net in 31 games, Estêvão surpassed, for example, Neymar’s performance in the 2009 Brasileirão – his first as a Santos professional. On that occasion, the current striker for Al-Hilal, from Saudi Arabia, scored ten goals and made six passes for goals, in 33 matches.
“Weverton [goleiro do Palmeiras] I don’t like it when I say that [risos]but I say that I’m in my amusement park, where I always wanted to be. I’m a 17-year-old kid who just wants to play football, bring joy to the Palmeiras fans, to my family”, declared the young man, during the Bola de Prata award.
The detail is that Estêvão, who torments opponents on the right of Palmeiras’ attack, taking the ball to finish or cross with his left leg, is not the best version of the player. Or at least that’s what he himself assesses. Despite having risen from the youth ranks as a winger, the boy usually played as a midfielder.
“I adapted as a winger at the end of the base, to avoid contact and have more [disputas] one against one. I gained space like this at Palmeiras, which has several other players who are midfielders, but my characteristic is really that of a midfielder. That’s where I feel most comfortable. In a few years, I want to return to my original position”, he projected.
Vice top scorer in the Brasileirão with 13 goals – behind only Yuri Alberto (Corinthians) and Alerrandro (Vitória), with 15 goals each – Estêvão also provided nine assists in the competition – Cesar Greco/Palmeiras/Reserved Rights
Heading to Chelsea
The return to the midfielder role can be by wearing another shirt. In June of this year, Estêvão was sold to Chelsea, from England. As he can only move to Europe after turning 18, he will remain at Verdão until at least July 2025. In other words, the young man must say goodbye to the club after competing in the Club World Cup in the United States.
At Chelsea, Estêvão will have the challenge of achieving a sequence that other jewels of Brazilian football have not achieved at the club. Midfielder Andrey Santos, formerly of Vasco, hasn’t even made his debut for the Blues (as the English team is known) since he was hired last year. Instead, he was loaned to Cruzmaltino himself, to fellow Englishman Nottingham Forest (made two appearances) and to Frenchman Strasbourg (26 games and eight goals).
Still in 2023, the English signed strikers Deivid Washington and Ângelo, who were at Santos. The former made just three appearances for the first team and played mainly for Chelsea’s under-21 team (39 games, 19 goals and seven assists). In the 2024/2025 season, he did not go to the field. The second never officially played for the Blues. He was on loan at Strasbourg (25 games, no goals, three assists) and, three months ago, he was sold to Al-Nassr, from Saudi Arabia.
“I’m very happy with the decision to go to Chelsea. Together with my family and my staff, it was the right decision to make, given the planning they did. I believe that, once I get there, I will work to earn my space, regardless of who be there. Of course, it will be a healthy competition, but I will always be there looking to play and have opportunities to consolidate myself in the team”, said the attacking midfielder.
In September, Estêvão received his first career call-up to wear Amarelinha. This year he played 52 minutes for the national team – Rafael Ribeiro/CBF/Reserved Rights
Sequence in selection
What seems certain is that Estêvão will continue in the Brazilian team in 2025. Called up for the first time for the September games, against Ecuador and Paraguay, in the World Cup qualifiers, and also present in the list of duels against Colombia and Argentina , he was on the field in all four matches, always coming off the bench. In total, he played for 52 minutes. And the person who revealed coach Dorival Júnior’s affection for the attacking midfielder was the five-time world champion coach for Brazil, Luiz Felipe Scolari.
“I’ve talked to Dorival a few times, with Rodrigo Caetano [diretor de seleções da Confederação Brasileira de Futebol]about situations, amenities. And one of the things they say is that this boy [Estêvão] draws the attention of Dorival, of those who work in the national team, for the way he behaves, as a player and as a person”, said Felipão, who also participated in the Silver Ball ceremony. “Talking to Estêvão just now, we would just like him to do, or continue doing what you already do for Palmeiras when you go to Chelsea. Boldness, dribbling, speed, desire to play. May he continue like this”, concluded the five-time champion.
