Latest news with #Estêvão
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
📋 Plenty of changes? Palmeiras and Mirassol line-ups confirmed at Allianz
This Wednesday (16) marks the resumption of the Brasileirão for Palmeiras and Mirassol. They will face off starting at 7pm (Brasília time). The duel is valid for the 14th round of the competition. And it will take place at the Allianz Parque. There have been 15 duels in history - all for the Paulistão. Verdão has nine victories, against three for Leão. And there have been three situations 📊 Verdão lost its last two games before playing in the Club World Cup. It started the round in fifth place with 22 points in 11 matches. Mirassol also had two matches postponed, as they were to face two teams that were playing in the World Cup: Botafogo and Fluminense. They scored nine out of the last 12 points played. They have 17, occupying the tenth position. Palmeiras 🐷 Abel Ferreira is still without Murilo, who is recovering from an injury. Giay also got injured and is out. Paulinho, having undergone another surgery, will not play anymore this season. It will be Verdão's first game without Estêvão, who transferred to Chelsea. Mayke will be the starting right back. Veiga starts in the midfield. Mirassol 🟢🟡 Rafael Guanaes did not lose any players due to physical problems. Neto Moura returns after serving a suspension. Carlos Eduardo is the only reinforcement who was not called up. Alesson starts. Felipe Jonatan and Chico da Costa are on the article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here. 📸 Miguel Schincariol - 2025 Getty Images
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chelsea and Fluminense name teams for Club World Cup semi-final
Chelsea and Fluminense name teams for Club World Cup semi-final TO COME: 2025-07-08T17:45:33Z And here's the Fluminense side, captained by Thiago Silva but without Samuel Xavier. Fábio; Ignácio, Thiago Silva, Thiago Santos; Guga, Bernal, Hércules, Nonato, Renê; Arias, Cano. Advertisement 2025-07-08T17:41:19Z Here's how Chelsea line up, and Pedro is in the side! 2025-07-08T17:38:54Z Rumours are circulating that João Pedro is set to make his first Chelsea start tonight. We will have confirmed team news shortly. 2025-07-08T17:11:25Z While the quarter-final saw Chelsea face off against a future player in Estêvão (who also scored), the sem-final sees them come up against a former in club legend Thiago Silva. The timeless 40-year-old spent four seasons at Stamford Bridge between 2020 and 2024, making 155 appearances for the club. He famously won the Champions League with the Blues in 2021, but also lifted the old Club World Cup in the same year. Advertisement Now the captain of Fluminense, Silva will be looking to repeat the trick. 2025-07-08T17:07:54Z The Brazilians have had an impressive journey to the final four, and are only non-European side left. They drew with Borussia Dortmund at the group stage, before famously defeating Inter in the round of 16. Al-Hilal were knocked off in a tense quarter-final battle. 2025-07-08T17:06:07Z Fluminense are the third Brazilian side the Blues have faced in the US, with a 3-1 opening group game loss to Flamengo being followed by a 2-1 quarter-final win over Palmeiras. 2025-07-08T17:04:19Z Hello and welcome to our coverage of the first Club World Cup semi-final clash between Chelsea and Fluminense at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Forbes
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Estêvão Shows His Quality Against New Premier League Teammates
Pennsylvania, USA July 04: ESTÊVíO #41 of Palmeiras celebrates after scoring a goal during the FIFA ... More Club World Cup quarter-final game between Palmeiras and Chelsea at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States on July 03, 2025. (Photo by Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu via Getty Images) Estêvão Willian had the rare opportunity to play his last game for Palmeiras against the club he is about to join; Premier League outfit Chelsea. The Brazilian wonderkid made a great impression despite being on the losing side as Chelsea won the FIFA 2025 Club World Cup quarter final fixture 2-1. Chelsea 2-1 Palmeiras On the evening of July 4th in Philadelphia, the former capital city of the United States, there were fireworks both on and off the pitch. 65,000 fans decided to attend Lincoln Financial Field to witness Palmeiras take on Chelsea and young Brazilian talent Estêvão take on the club he is about to call home. Estêvão Willian has already signed for Chelsea in a deal that could be worth a whopping total of $70 million with bonuses and add-ons. However he agreed to stay with Palmeiras for the FIFA 2025 Club World Cup campaign, and on Friday night in Philadelphia he was very set on knocking his future employer out of the tournament. Chelsea won the quarter final 2-1 in the end, but Estêvão, who was nicknamed 'Messinho' meaning 'Little Messi,' scored the only Palmeiras goal. Perhaps even more importantly; Estêvão showed some qualities beyond the goal-scoring that can make him a success in the Premier League. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 04: Estevao #41 of Palmeiras poses for a photo with the Superior ... More Player of the Match trophy after the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 quarter final match between SE Palmeiras and Chelsea FC at Lincoln Financial Field on July 04, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Dustin Satloff - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) Estêvão Is Ready For His Big Move Estêvão is ready for a move that is years in the making. As a teenager he was touted as the next big thing in Brazilian football, a tag that is not easy to live up to, but Estêvão is keeping on the right track. Many top clubs courted his signature as a 15 year-old boy, but in the end he signed a deal that would see him move to Chelsea this summer when he turned 18. I have seen Estêvão play live before, and I have watched him closely in some of Palmeiras most important games in Brazil and South America, but I don't think I have been as impressed by him as I was on Friday night, for a few reasons. Firstly, this was one of the biggest games he has ever played in. For Brazilian fans the Club World Cup means everything and to compete against a top European side makes it all the more special. Not least because Chelsea defeated Palmeiras in the 2021 Club World Cup final. Palmeiras fans wanted revenge in this game, and they expected Estêvão to provide the spark in order to find it. Estêvão did just that with his stunning second half equaliser. Palmeiras suffered in the first period and Chelsea could easily have built up more than a single goal lead. The Brazilians stayed in the game without creating too many clear opportunities and in the end Estêvão created something out of nothing to send the fans wild, with a driving shot from a tight angle that ricocheted in off the woodwork. A shot most wouldn't have taken on. The replay didn't look fantastic from a goalkeeping perspective but all credit to Estêvão for his thunderous effort in a game where the Brazilians only managed two shots on target. TOPSHOT - Palmeiras' Brazilian forward #41 Estevao Willian scores his team's first goal during the ... More FIFA Club World Cup 2025 quarterfinal football match between Brazil's Palmeiras and England's Chelsea at the Lincoln Financial Field Stadium in Philadelphia on July 4, 2025. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images) Fit To Fight Against The Best Estêvão is a magical winger and that is why Chelsea paid so much money to bring him to the club. It's no surprise that he is technically gifted or able to create special moments. However what was both fascinating and pleasant to see was how Estêvão dealt with facing Marc Cucurella; a top-level full-back and a formidable opponent in every one-on-one battle. The pair went head-to-head for 90 minutes, enjoying a fierce clash on the flank and often covering their mouths with their hands in order to 'trash talk' without letting the cameras know what they were saying. Those chats were plentiful and no love was lost in various challenges. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 4: Estevao of Palmeiras reacts to Marc Cucurella of Chelsea ... More during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 quarter final match between SE Palmeiras and Chelsea FC at Lincoln Financial Field on July 4, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images) Of course Estêvão has faced big battles and strong opponents in South American football, but Cucurella is the Chelsea and Spain left-back. He has proved he is a winner at the top level and a fearsome adversary on the pitch. He is characterised by his ability to frustrate and shut down his opposite number and he is also a master of the dark arts when the referee isn't looking. There was no obvious winner of this battle on the night and that was the most impressive thing about Estêvão's performance. If anything can be thrown his way in terms of criticism it would have to be his slender figure and lack of physical presence, but on Friday night this boy showed he was up for the fight, and capable of making it an even one. On the second occasion that Estêvão received the ball in front of Cucurella, he drifted inside the pitch. Cucurella followed and began to lean into the Brazilian to slow down his advance. At this point I believed that Cucurella would rob the ball from the winger and easily muscle him out of the way, but it wasn't so. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 4: Estêvão of SE Palmeiras (C) fights for possession with Cole ... More Palmer (R) and Marc Cucurella (L) of Chelsea FC during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 quarter final match between SE Palmeiras and Chelsea FC at Lincoln Financial Field on July 4, 2025 in Philadelphia, United States. (Photo by Ricardo Nogueira/Sports) Estêvão kept calm, felt the presence of the defender, leant into him and continued to bring the ball inside, holding Cucurella off. One, two, three strides more. Cucurella is always relentless in his pressing but Estêvão kept gliding until he reached the centre of the pitch and then popped a pass out to the left flank. The Spanish defender 'left one on him' in that moment. A friendly reminder of his presence after Estêvão released the ball. Comparisons With Neymar The way Estêvão was able to dribble with the ball, hold off the defender and calmly pick out his pass in that moment wasn't game-changing or revolutionary, but it reminded me of Neymar and showed a level of physicality that you wouldn't think young Estêvão possesses. The first time I watched Neymar live I was taken aback by his ability to not just dribble past players, but to put up with having two or three of them on his back, often fouling him. The Brazilian would still keep control of the ball, shrug them off and advance up the pitch. The best make it look easy at times, to the extent that we don't fully appreciate the balance of strength and skill. PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 04: Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella #3 and Palmeiras forward Estevao #41 ... More fight for the ball during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup match between SE Palmeiras and Chelsea FC on July 4th, 2025 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Estêvão battled with the dogged Cucurella for the rest of the game, and he even left a late tackle in on future teammate Levi Colwill. The likes of which Cucurella would be proud of. There was certainly a physicality and a fighting spirit on display from Estêvão; the sort I haven't seen before, and certainly not against a defence of this calibre. Estêvão didn't have tonnes of moments of individual quality in the game, but we know he has that in the locker. What he showed in terms of his mentality and bravery was fantastic to see though. Drawn into the Cucurella dog-fight he held his own, showed that he isn't as skinny as he looks, gave some back and came away with a goal. Returning to the comparisons, earlier this year Estêvão became the first player to hit 30 goal contributions before his 18th birthday in Brazil since Neymar did so in 2010. A lot of big names have come through the Brazilian league system in the last 15 years but evidence on paper and at this Club World Cup suggests that Estêvão's ceiling could be higher than the rest. Whether he can hit the heights of the finest Brazilian player of the last two decades is another question and it might be another two decades before we have the answer. Palmeiras' Brazilian forward #41 Estevao Willian scores his team's first goal during the FIFA Club ... More World Cup 2025 quarterfinal football match between Brazil's Palmeiras and England's Chelsea at the Lincoln Financial Field Stadium in Philadelphia on July 4, 2025. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
The Guardian
06-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Chelsea edge Palmeiras and inspired Estêvão to reach Club World Cup semis
Their place in the last four of the Club World Cup in the bag and the prospect of a £97m windfall still up for grabs, Chelsea found themselves in an unusual position: relieved to have survived a taxing second half, hailing Malo Gusto's unlikely role as match-winner and able to delight in the opposition's goalscorer being named superior player of the match. For a while the story of this entertaining quarter-final looked like it was going to be about Enzo Maresca finding it within himself to forgive Estêvão. Everything had changed when the Brazilian sensation, who joins Chelsea after this tournament, cancelled out an early goal from Cole Palmer and hauled Palmeiras level at the start of the second half. Quiet during the first half, Estêvão threatened to take over and send his next team back to England. The consolation for Chelsea was likely to be seeing exactly why they have paid £52m to sign a talent tipped by many good judges to win the Ballon d'Or one day. Yet that uncomfortable conversation between Estêvão and Maresca was averted thanks to a horrendous error from Weverton seven minutes from time, a deflected cross from Gusto somehow deceiving the Palmeiras goalkeeper and bobbling in. Palmeiras, who have never won this competition, could not believe their misfortune. They lost late to Chelsea in the final three years ago; now they were out thanks to an own goal from their goalkeeper. Not that Chelsea cared. The future looks bright. Palmer and Estêvão working in tandem after this tournament? It is a delicious prospect and Chelsea's owners will have loved the symbolism of the duo embracing at half-time. As for the present, the focus is on reaching next Sunday's final in New Jersey. Next up are Fluminese, who beat Al-Hilal in the day's other quarter-final, and that means a reunion with a Brazilian from a different era: the former Chelsea centre-back Thiago Silva. There was also rare positive PR for Fifa given that its dynamic pricing model pulled in a bigger crowd than expected and quelled any debate over scheduling this tie on Independence Day. This, after all, was far from the biggest show in town on Friday. Fourth of July festivities tend to be quite a big deal in Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy, and anyone looking for ways to mark the holiday could choose from Major League Baseball at nearby Citizens Bank Park, free concerts and a fireworks show in the city centre. But prices dropping as low as $11.15 (£8.17) ensured there was a decent attendance at Lincoln Financial Field, where attention was on the weirdness of Estêvão playing his future employers. What to do? In Marc Cucurella's case it was to stick tight to the teenager and kick him at every opportunity. It was as if the left-back was determined to show Estêvão what it will be like in the Premier League. The challenges were physical and there was even a blast of fury from Cucurella after Estêvão had a nibble at Levi Colwill midway through the first half. Chelsea were aggressive. The worry for Maresca was how his midfield would function without the suspended Moisés Caicedo and the injured Roméo Lavia. Enzo Fernández moved deeper but there was another rejig when Reece James suffered an injury during the warmup, forcing Maresca to hand a first start to Andrey Santos. In that context, perhaps it was not a surprise when Chelsea grew a little ragged in the second half. Making up for the absence of Caicedo's power and Lavia's elegance was not easy for Santos. The 21-year-old Brazilian is still adjusting to Maresca's system after an impressive loan spell at Strasbourg, although this was still an encouraging first step. Playing in a deeper role, Santos asked for the ball, got stuck in and did not hide when the game got tough after half-time. Palmeiras, who were without key figures in defence, had struggled at first. Maresca had left it up to Pedro Neto to decide if he wanted to play after the death of his friend and Portugal teammate Diogo Jota. Neto was excused from training on Thursday and it would not have been a surprise if the winger had accepted the offer of compassionate leave. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Instead, though, the 25-year-old lined up on the right wing and was soon giving Micael the runaround. Palmer, playing as a No 10, was just as elusive. Sixteen minutes in, he moved to the right, took a pass from Trevoh Chalobah and turned. The outcome was inevitable. Palmer swerved on to his left foot, held off a couple of challenges and threaded a low shot into the bottom corner. Chelsea remained on top. They should have scored again, only for Christopher Nkunku to shoot over. There was a lull as half-time approached. Richard Ríos had an opening for Palmeiras. Liam Delap ruled himself out of the semi-final after picking up a booking. The mind went back to Chelsea blowing a half-time lead against Flamengo during the group stage. The Brazilian teams are not to be underestimated. Palmeiras emerged with more intensity at the start of the second half. The narrative turned in the 53rd minute. There was a clever pass from the right from Ríos. Estêvão nipped in, stepping past Colwill, and then came the demonstration of his unique talent: the daring to shoot from such a tight angle, the bravery to take it with his weaker right foot, and the technique to catch Robert Sánchez out at his near post, the ball flying past the Chelsea goalkeeper and going in off the bar. Maresca responded by removing Delap for the debutant João Pedro and bringing Noni Madueke on for the disappointing Nkunku. Chelsea rallied. João Pedro, who has only had a couple of training sessions since joining from Brighton this week, looked bright. Madueke brought more drive on the left. The game flew from end to end. Palmeiras were too open. Chelsea kept working themselves into promising positions, although the nature of the winning goal owed more to luck than judgment, Gusto squeezing in a cross, the ball changing course and Weverton not reacting in time.
The Guardian
06-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Estêvão shows Chelsea he can form dangerous partnership with Palmer
The good news for Chelsea is that Cole Palmer and Estêvão Willian will be on the same team when they next share a pitch. Even better, it seems two of the most gifted young forwards around already have a connection. They were on opposite sides in Philadelphia on Friday night but friends when it was over, sharing a warm embrace after Chelsea's victory over Palmeiras in the Club World Cup, swapping shirts and perhaps thinking about how much fun they are going to have at the expense of opposition defences when they line up together next season. It was a heartwarming sight. Palmer offered a reminder that he remains the main man at Chelsea, performing with craft and intelligence during a first half in which he opened the scoring in smooth fashion, but Estêvão vied for centre stage on his final appearance for Palmeiras. It was an extraordinary performance given the context. Anticipation has been building ever since Chelsea agreed a £52m fee with Palmeiras for Estêvão in May 2024. The 18-year-old has remained on an upward trajectory after staying with Palmeiras for one more season, but any hopes of keeping the hype machine from going into overdrive with a player regarded as the best Brazilian youth product of his generation had disappeared long before he found himself trying to knock his future employers out of the Club World Cup. The pressure on Estêvão was extreme. He has delivered a string of wonderful goals and performances for Palmeiras over the past 12 months but he has been criticised by the Brazilian media during his time in the US. Abel Ferreira, the charismatic Palmeiras manager, has had to leap to the youngster's defence. There have been some tense press conferences. Nonetheless it was only human nature to wonder if Estêvão was capable of performing against Chelsea. Would his heart really be in it? Would he hold back? Would he be too desperate to impress? Now, of course, the challenge will be keeping expectations at realistic levels when Estêvão arrives in England. He has been called Messinho (Little Messi) because of his dribbling ability but is determined to follow his own path. This kid is fearless. Questions about whether he will be able to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League are standard. Against Chelsea, there could be no better taste of what defenders in England are like than by being marked by Marc Cucurella. The Spaniard is tenacious, niggly, and very good at his job. It was striking to watch him kick lumps out of Estêvão during the first half. It was as if Cucurella was trying to see if the kid was made of the right stuff. The response was resounding. Estêvão kept looking for the ball and kept trying to make things happen. At one point he darted in from the right, surging across the grass, Cucurella left desperately trying to cling on to his shirt. It was easy to imagine Cucurella going back into the dressing room after full time and telling his teammates that they won't have to worry about whether that slight, spindly kid on the Palmeiras right will be able to do it on a wet, windy Tuesday night in Stoke. Only, the rest of Chelsea's players had already seen it for themselves. It was Estêvão who dragged Palmeiras into the contest, spinning into space in the 53rd minute and catching Robert Sánchez out by shooting from the tightest of angles. The ball flew past a startled Sánchez, who could not even be blamed for being beaten at his near post, and when it went in there was no holding back from Estêvão as he celebrated. Palmeiras could not quite get the job done, though. Afterwards the mood was bittersweet. Named the player of the match, Estêvão was obliged to speak to the media. He sat next to Ferreira and thanked the man who treats him as a son. Ferreira was tender, whispering advice to Estêvão whenever he seemed unsure what to say. 'I love this guy so much,' Estêvão said. 'I thank God that Abel and Palmeiras are in my life.' Ferreira, ignoring the pain of losing to a late own goal, returned the praise. He spoke of Estêvão's talent but also described him as an amazing person. The Portuguese admitted that he was unsure if Estêvão was big enough when he was promoted to the first team, only for those doubts to go away soon enough. 'He looks slim, but he is strong,' Ferreira said. 'I told Estêvão: 'We are excited for you to join,' but he didn't understand a single word I said,' Palmer offered. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion That nod towards the language barrier was a reminder that Estêvão must be given time to settle in England. 'Take care of him,' Ferreira said, sounding a lot like Sven-Göran Eriksson urging the English media to protect Wayne Rooney in 2006. 'It's the first time he will leave his country. In England the sun appears two or three times a year and the night comes early but Chelsea have conditions to support him.' It is good that there is no pressure on Enzo Maresca to rush Estêvão. Chelsea have plenty of attacking options and know that leaving South America will not be easy. Even so, it is telling that there is no plan to send Estêvão out on loan. Chelsea know they have a special talent on their hands. No wonder they cannot wait to see Estêvão and Palmer together.
