Latest news with #EstêvãoWillian
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
João Pedro makes early mark for Chelsea but Blues forwards must avoid seeing red
Estêvão Willian was not the only Brazilian attacker to offer a tantalising glimpse of the future during Chelsea's win against Palmeiras in the quarter-finals of the Club World Cup. There was also a bright cameo from João Pedro, who came on for Liam Delap just after Estêvão's equaliser early in the second half and proceeded to change the game with his brawn and intelligent link-up play. It was an eye-catching performance from the forward given that his £60m move to Chelsea had been announced two days earlier. What had the 23-year-old been doing during his time off? Lifting logs and existing on a diet of raw steak, presumably. The aggression from João Pedro was startling. He was raring to go after a couple of training sessions with his new teammates and, while he was not involved in the winning goal, his bustling forward play was a vital part of Chelsea reasserting their dominance after Palmeiras pulled the score back to 1-1. 'Even if he was on holiday, he looks sharp, he looks good,' Enzo Maresca said. João Pedro, who was wanted by Newcastle before Chelsea came in for him, did not slack off while waiting for Brighton to sell him. He stayed in shape after going to Rio de Janeiro on holiday. 'I was in Brazil with my friends but I have a personal trainer and I trained, so I was ready,' João Pedro said on Monday. 'Imagine if I didn't train and Chelsea called me to come – then it would be more difficult for me. I made my debut and I think I showed I am ready. In Brazil the Club World Cup is very important because normally the teams there don't play teams from Europe. I will always take this tournament seriously.' Such dedication from João Pedro meant that Nicolas Jackson was shoved to the margins against Palmeiras. It is possible to read too much into one substitution. Equally it is possible that Maresca's decision to introduce the newcomer instead of Jackson offered clues about the new hierarchy in Chelsea's attack. There was already a new contender for a starting role up front after the arrival of Delap from Ipswich for £30m. The 22-year-old has been sharp in the US. He has started the past four games, scoring once, and seems to have moved above Jackson in the pecking order. With Delap serving a one-game ban after picking up his second booking of the tournament against Palmeiras it is not clear who starts in Tuesday's semi-final against Fluminense. The pressure on Jackson is rising. Suspended for two games after a reckless red card against Flamengo during the group stage, the Senegal striker watched Delap impress in his absence. More worrying for Jackson, though, is that he was back in the squad against Palmeiras and overlooked when Maresca took Delap off. Jackson has a lot to prove given that he was also sent off for elbowing Newcastle's Sven Botman at the end of last season and will still be out when the Premier League campaign starts. The 24-year-old is a handful but immaturity blights his game. A sale cannot be ruled out if Chelsea receive a good offer. They need to generate funds after being fined by Uefa for breaching financial rules. It makes João Pedro's instant involvement feel significant. He was signed for his versatility and is a team player. His goal return at Brighton was no more than acceptable – 30 in 70 games – but he was respected for his pressing and link-up play. It goes back to João Pedro's spell as a youth player at Fluminense, who switched him from defensive to attacking midfield. Watford brought him to England in 2019 and sold him to Brighton three years later. He will be eager to face his former club. Fluminense have the oldest team at the Club World Cup. Fábio, their goalkeeper, is 44. Thiago Silva, the former Chelsea centre-back, is 40. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Silva spoke fondly of Chelsea here. The veteran may look to exploit his old side's youth, though. Perhaps Silva will try to get a rise out of Jackson or João Pedro. It is worth noting that Jackson is not the only Chelsea striker with a history of disciplinary issues. Delap puts himself about and picked up 13 yellow cards in all competitions last season. As for João Pedro, he saw red for violent conduct against Brentford in April and could have been sent off against the same opponents after an attempted elbow on Yehor Yarmolyuk last December. Competitive edge? Maybe, but there was also an altercation with the Brighton centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke in training, which led to João Pedro missing the final game of last season. 'The people who know me know my character,' João Pedro said. 'But when two players want to win, these things happen.' Maresca needs that aggression to be channelled in the right way. Having three talented young forwards could be seen as a form of insurance policy if they keep getting suspended on rotation but the reality is that Delap, Jackson and João Pedro will not be helping themselves or Chelsea if they keep falling foul of referees. It is Delap's turn to sit this one out and watch someone take his place. João Pedro and Jackson will be desperate to put themselves forward before Sunday's final.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
⭐️ The 3️⃣ standout performers in Chelsea v Palmeiras
A night worthy for football lovers, Chelsea vs. Palmeiras was a great match that left us with three main protagonists and an interesting fact. This is our choice for today, what's yours? Estêvão Willian A stunning goal! The then Palmeiras player brought the Brazilian team back to life to fight for the ticket to the next round. He was chosen as the MVP of the match and is now preparing to join Chelsea for the 2025-26 season. Advertisement Cole Palmer In his style, Cole celebrated the first goal of the match and set Chelsea in motion to secure a spot in the Club World Cup semifinals. Richard Rios Although the Club World Cup ended for Richard Rios, his talent on the field left everyone with great impressions as he was one of the foundations of Palmeiras and is now a worthy candidate to become one of the most valuable players in the competition. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 JUAN MABROMATA - AFP or licensors
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Estêvão will try to beat Chelsea at the Club World Cup – and then join them
Who would have thought that two Brazilian clubs would reach the Club World Cup quarter-finals? If Fluminense beat Al-Hilal in Orlando on Friday and Palmeiras get the better of Chelsea a few hours later in Philadelphia, one of them will make it to the final. Chelsea have already been embarrassed by one Brazilian side at the tournament – they were trounced 3-1 by Flamengo a fortnight ago in the group stage – but they are still favourites to beat Palmeiras in the quarter-finals. The English side came out on top when the teams met in the final of the Club World Cup three years ago, winning 2-1 thanks to a 117th-minute penalty converted by Kai Havertz. At that point, a young prodigy known as 'Messinho', or little Messi, was taking his first steps in the Palmeiras academy having joined from Cruzeiro. When the teams meet again on Friday night, Estêvão Willian will be the central focus. The 18-year-old is inextricably linked to both clubs, having turned professional at one before agreeing to join the other in a deal that could be worth up to £52m. Having signed a deal to join Chelsea a year ago, Estêvão travelled to the Club World Cup knowing that Palmeiras' last game in the United States would also be his last before he crosses the Atlantic. The teenager has admitted that he has struggled to focus on the task at hand. 'It's very difficult,' he said. 'It's a dream that I'm going to fulfil, but knowing that I have to focus here, that I have to work, it's not easy. The closer it gets, the anxiety hits. I'm trying to focus as much as possible, and leave well, through the front door, knowing that I gave my best for Palmeiras.' In an era when players are media trained into mumbling tedious and unrevealing soundbites, this was a welcome and rare example of a high-profile player being vulnerable and speaking his mind. Unsurprisingly, however, in another sign of the times, he was criticised for admitting that his mind might be elsewhere, which forced the Palmeiras manager to leap to his defence. 'It's normal,' said Abel Ferreira. 'What distinguishes us from the animals? Feelings and emotions. It's normal to be nervous, normal for a boy to have a dream. He's so pure and such a young lad. To be 18 and say what he feels is normal but a large part [of the media and fans] slaughtered him. That's what you do to players. That's what sells, the blood. You make money one way and we make money another.' There is a perception in Brazil that Estêvão has not delivered for Palmeiras in his very limited time in the first team and could leave the club still not having bossed a big game – especially when compared to Endrick, the last phenom to emerge at the São Paulo club. Popular Brazilian pundit Paulo Vinicius Coelho, widely known as PVC, points out that, whereas Endrick lifted two Brazilian league titles and scored the goal that won the title in 2023 before joining Real Madrid, Estêvão is still waiting for a game that defines his time at Palmeiras. 'If Estêvão goes to Chelsea without deciding the game, we are used to hearing that he doesn't score against the rivals in the biggest matches,' says PVC. 'He scores against Cuiabá, against Juventude, against small clubs, but he doesn't score against Santos, Corinthians, São Paulo, Flamengo, Botafogo, Porto, Al-Ahly, Inter Miami, or Chelsea. Playing against Chelsea is very important. Where is his mind? He needs to work on his mentality. If he fails on Saturday, many Palmeiras fans will say he didn't have his head in the game.' PVC is quick to add that Estêvão is 'the most intelligent player at Palmeiras' and that 'when it comes to his skills, nobody argues about that'. Henrique Rojas, a lifelong matchgoing Palmeiras fan, agrees and adds that he is 'by far the most skilled' player that has come through the academy in decades. 'He has speed, dribbling and spatial intelligence that is above average – but he's still only 18 and still needs to improve a lot,' says Rojas. 'He needs to get stronger physically and improve his finishing. These are the reasons he hasn't really shone in the big games yet – in addition to the fact that he became the country's biggest name in one year and has been heavily marked ever since. But he's a good kid, he's never slacked off and has a bright future. As this is his last tournament before leaving, he is anxious. Both Abel and the squad are shielding him from criticism and he will have another chance to show his best.' Even if Estêvão can work some magic, there is no doubt that Chelsea are the favourites. 'Palmeiras are not in the best form,' says PVC. 'They were better two months ago than they are today. Beating a big rival in a big game is the key to kicking on, and they need to prove themselves.' Rojas agrees. 'Although Chelsea are inconsistent under Maresca, they are the favourites,' he says. 'Just look at the players' values and the fact they are in the most powerful league in the world. It's 60/40 for Chelsea, but that's the beauty of cup games – one detail changes everything.' If Palmeiras pull off their heist of the century so far, Ferreira will face even more jokes about how his team defies the odds so often. The manager – whose rousing team talks and press conferences are something to behold – has been teased by rival fans about the dark arts he must practise to pull off so many shocks. 'Rivals joke that he 'sacrifices animals' and has a 'pact with the devil' because Palmeiras have managed to mount comebacks in many games that seemed lost,' says Rojas. 'But the truth is that to limit him to just a motivational coach is nonsense. Abel has changed the team in so many ways and different moments that it is impossible not to respect him. He is one of the greatest coaches in the club's history, if not the greatest, and he achieved all this in just five years. He decides everything related to football at the club and he is a rare unanimous choice for a fanbase that is always dissatisfied. He is a kind of Simeone at Atlético Madrid. 'Some fans criticise his 'inventions' – such as playing with double full-backs or persisting with players in bad form – but every coach has that. Palmeiras have offered him another contract until the end of 2027 and, deep down, no Palmeiras fan wants him to leave. The passion between Abel and Palmeiras is one of the most beautiful things that has ever happened and we will always be by his side.' Palmeiras fans know they cannot stop Estêvão from leaving but they worry that Chelsea is not the 'ideal destination' for the youngster. 'Chelsea are a team with many ups and downs,' says Rojas. 'They are signing a lot of young players but they fire coaches and lack experienced players who can help players like Estêvão in their day-to-day life. All this without mentioning the difference of living in another country and facing a harsh winter. He is a person, not a machine. Perhaps the Spanish league or a team like Arsenal would be more natural for him.' PVC also has 'doubts' about Chelsea. 'Chelsea bought three young Brazilian players before: Deivid Washington who went back to Santos; ngelo, who went to Strasbourg; and André Santos, who returned from Strasbourg to Chelsea but he has only played a few minutes in the Club World Cup. Estêvão is too young for a club that is in a new phase. I don't think it's the best decision, but young Brazilian players always want to go to Europe as quickly as possible.' This is an article by Tom Sanderson
Times
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Times
Estevao Willian: Can ‘best since Neymar' knock out his new club Chelsea?
Chelsea have recruited plenty of promising young players since their takeover by BlueCo, the consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, in 2022. So much so that it feels like an orderly queue of talented teenagers forms annually outside Stamford Bridge. This summer, Kendry Páez, 18, arrived from Ecuador after a pre-agreement in 2023. Mike Penders, the 19-year-old former Genk goalkeeper, has joined too. In the future, there is Geovany Quenda, 18, of Sporting Lisbon, reportedly full back Denner, 17, of Corinthians, and the Kazakh wonderkid Dastan Satpaev, 16, all to arrive in 2026. All hold much promise for the future, but none are seen as quite the sure bet that is Estêvão Willian, the 18-year-old Palmeiras star who will, by a twist of fate and a specific agreement in his transfer, face his new employers Chelsea in the Club World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday (2am). His star is no secret. 'One day he will be voted the best player in the world,' Leila Pereira, the president of Palmeiras, told The Athletic this year. 'He's a spectacular kid and he's going to shine in Europe.' 'He's not matured physically yet and that's what amazes everyone and makes them think that he will reach a much higher level,' said João Paulo Sampaio, the head of the club's academy. Palmeiras, of course, have a vested interest in building up his profile. But the view that he is an exceptional player is not held in isolation. It is almost unanimous. 'All of us who work with football consider Estêvão to be the best Brazilian player after Neymar,' one Brazilian agent, who works with the country's leading clubs, told The Times. 'Better than Vini Jr, and anyone else who came after Neymar.' Agents, sporting directors and scouts, particularly in South America, all concur about his ability. Of the talent Chelsea have accumulated in recent seasons within their policy of finding the world's brightest prospects, Estêvão stands above the rest. 'An amazing player, the next after Neymar, but with a much better mentality,' explains another Brazilian agent. 'Professional, easy going, humble. He has the potential to be one of the top three in the world.' He has been tracked by all and sundry in Europe. 'He's en route to be an important player in the football world over the next decade,' says Mário Branco, the former sporting director at Fenerbahce, who worked with Estêvão's head coach, Abel Ferreira, at Greek side PAOK. 'He has won matches on his own for Palmeiras.' So who is this kid with the world at his feet? Estêvão has been nicknamed 'little Messi', but it is a nickname he does not like. He is a left-footed wide player who likes to cut in from the right, but is comfortable in a central role. His mastery of the ball is his alchemy; a puppeteer's close control mixed with speed and agility, and then composure to match in the final third. His future has been mapped out from a very young age. When eight, his family — his younger sister, mother and father — left their lives behind to follow him to the city of Belo Horizonte, the home of Cruzeiro, a seven-hour drive away. He became the youngest player to be sponsored by Nike, at the age of ten. Four years later, he was picked up by Palmeiras and made his senior debut within two years. He was part of a talented generation to emerge at the club, including striker Endrick, now at Real Madrid, defender Vitor Reis, now at Manchester City, and Luis Guilherme, at West Ham United. His upbringing kept him grounded; his father was a church pastor in Franca, while his mother worked in a shoe factory. He is known to be shy, with the dream to follow Neymar and play for the Selecao; which he accomplished last season against Ecuador in September. Last season, in 2024, he scored 13 goals and provided nine assists in 31 games, helping his team finish second behind Botafogo. Ferreira, the highly rated head coach who built his reputation initially in Sporting Lisbon's academy and has since won two Copa Libertadores titles with Palmeiras, has been instrumental in his development. 'He knows what he needs to do tomorrow,' Ferreira said on Thursday. 'I hope he gives his best for the owners of Chelsea, they look at him with potential and all the quality he has. It will be an opportunity for him to show how good he is. We will expect his best, the maximum in attack and defence and maybe he will score a goal to give a goodbye for our fans. We helped him to grow as a man and a professional. It could be a moment to give him a goodbye with one amazing game.' Signing Estêvão feels like a coup for Chelsea, who he will join once Palmeiras are eliminated. They agreed the transfer in May 2024, worth an initial £29million and potentially £15million more in add-ons, after a concerted push, which also coincided with an expansion of their overseas network in South America. Part of that saw the appointments of scouts Alysson Marins, in July 2023, who previously led Corinthians scouting department, as well as Carlos Eduardo Arissa Vargas in February 2024, who was previously Monaco's eyes and ears in South America. But it was mainly convincing the player of their project that ensured they beat the world's biggest clubs to his signature. 'A lot of people are asking me why we chose Chelsea, but they don't understand how much Chelsea wanted me, and how much belief they have in my potential,' Estêvão told the Players' Tribune. 'Those people don't know about the project they presented to us. To a young player, these things matter a lot, and I know we've made the right decision to go to London.' Estêvão spoke of his anxiety about joining Chelsea during the past month. The step is a huge one in his career. The Premier League can be an unforgiving environment and European football will be a change. It is also a physical league and some in top-flight recruitment highlight that as his biggest hurdle. 'Premier League clubs are chasing the best athletes around,' says one. 'The challenge will be finding a way to cope. But for me he's an incredible talent. By far the best of anyone at his age.' 'It will be a challenge for him how he adapts to the more structured and tactically rigid football in Europe,' says Branco. 'As we could see that sometimes in big games in Brazil, and also with the Club World Cup, he struggled to bring his A-Game, possibly due to greater physicality, or eventually more organised defensive blocks.' Before this summer, Chelsea had signed nine players directly from South America since 2000, with Oscar only truly the most successful. Bucking that trend will not be easy. He'll need time to settle. Cole Palmer is among the Chelsea players to have already reached out to him ahead of his arrival. He will have conflicted loyalties on Saturday, in the most unusual circumstances. Yet most in the game have little doubt that Estêvão's future will find a way to success. Amid all the rough diamonds, he might be Chelsea's brightest find yet. Palmeiras v Chelsea
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Estêvão will try to beat Chelsea at the Club World Cup – and then join them
Who would have thought that two Brazilian clubs would reach the Club World Cup quarter-finals? If Fluminense beat Al-Hilal in Orlando on Friday and Palmeiras get the better of Chelsea a few hours later in Philadelphia, one of them will make it to the final. Chelsea have already been embarrassed by one Brazilian side at the tournament – they were trounced 3-1 by Flamengo a fortnight ago in the group stage – but they are still favourites to beat Palmeiras in the quarter-finals. The English side came out on top when the teams met in the final of the Club World Cup three years ago, winning 2-1 thanks to a 117th-minute penalty converted by Kai Havertz. At that point, a young prodigy known as 'Messinho', or little Messi, was taking his first steps in the Palmeiras academy having joined from Cruzeiro. When the teams meet again on Friday night, Estêvão Willian will be the central focus. The 18-year-old is inextricably linked to both clubs, having turned professional at one before agreeing to join the other in a deal that could be worth up to £52m. Having signed a deal to join Chelsea a year ago, Estêvão travelled to the Club World Cup knowing that Palmeiras' last game in the United States would also be his last before he crosses the Atlantic. The teenager has admitted that he has struggled to focus on the task at hand. 'It's very difficult,' he said. 'It's a dream that I'm going to fulfil, but knowing that I have to focus here, that I have to work, it's not easy. The closer it gets, the anxiety hits. I'm trying to focus as much as possible, and leave well, through the front door, knowing that I gave my best for Palmeiras.' In an era when players are media trained into mumbling tedious and unrevealing soundbites, this was a welcome and rare example of a high-profile player being vulnerable and speaking his mind. Unsurprisingly, however, in another sign of the times, he was criticised for admitting that his mind might be elsewhere, which forced the Palmeiras manager to leap to his defence. 'It's normal,' said Abel Ferreira. 'What distinguishes us from the animals? Feelings and emotions. It's normal to be nervous, normal for a boy to have a dream. He's so pure and such a young lad. To be 18 and say what he feels is normal but a large part [of the media and fans] slaughtered him. That's what you do to players. That's what sells, the blood. You make money one way and we make money another.' There is a perception in Brazil that Estêvão has not delivered for Palmeiras in his very limited time in the first team and could leave the club still not having bossed a big game – especially when compared to Endrick, the last phenom to emerge at the São Paulo club. Popular Brazilian pundit Paulo Vinicius Coelho, widely known as PVC, points out that, whereas Endrick lifted two Brazilian league titles and scored the goal that won the title in 2023 before joining Real Madrid, Estêvão is still waiting for a game that defines his time at Palmeiras. 'If Estêvão goes to Chelsea without deciding the game, we are used to hearing that he doesn't score against the rivals in the biggest matches,' says PVC. 'He scores against Cuiabá, against Juventude, against small clubs, but he doesn't score against Santos, Corinthians, São Paulo, Flamengo, Botafogo, Porto, Al-Ahly, Inter Miami, or Chelsea. Playing against Chelsea is very important. Where is his mind? He needs to work on his mentality. If he fails on Saturday, many Palmeiras fans will say he didn't have his head in the game.' PVC is quick to add that Estêvão is 'the most intelligent player at Palmeiras' and that 'when it comes to his skills, nobody argues about that'. Henrique Rojas, a lifelong matchgoing Palmeiras fan, agrees and adds that he is 'by far the most skilled' player that has come through the academy in decades. 'He has speed, dribbling and spatial intelligence that is above average – but he's still only 18 and still needs to improve a lot,' says Rojas. 'He needs to get stronger physically and improve his finishing. These are the reasons he hasn't really shone in the big games yet – in addition to the fact that he became the country's biggest name in one year and has been heavily marked ever since. But he's a good kid, he's never slacked off and has a bright future. As this is his last tournament before leaving, he is anxious. Both Abel and the squad are shielding him from criticism and he will have another chance to show his best.' Even if Estêvão can work some magic, there is no doubt that Chelsea are the favourites. 'Palmeiras are not in the best form,' says PVC. 'They were better two months ago than they are today. Beating a big rival in a big game is the key to kicking on, and they need to prove themselves.' Rojas agrees. 'Although Chelsea are inconsistent under Maresca, they are the favourites,' he says. 'Just look at the players' values and the fact they are in the most powerful league in the world. It's 60/40 for Chelsea, but that's the beauty of cup games – one detail changes everything.' If Palmeiras pull off their heist of the century so far, Ferreira will face even more jokes about how his team defies the odds so often. The manager – whose rousing team talks and press conferences are something to behold – has been teased by rival fans about the dark arts he must practise to pull off so many shocks. 'Rivals joke that he 'sacrifices animals' and has a 'pact with the devil' because Palmeiras have managed to mount comebacks in many games that seemed lost,' says Rojas. 'But the truth is that to limit him to just a motivational coach is nonsense. Abel has changed the team in so many ways and different moments that it is impossible not to respect him. He is one of the greatest coaches in the club's history, if not the greatest, and he achieved all this in just five years. He decides everything related to football at the club and he is a rare unanimous choice for a fanbase that is always dissatisfied. He is a kind of Simeone at Atlético Madrid. 'Some fans criticise his 'inventions' – such as playing with double full-backs or persisting with players in bad form – but every coach has that. Palmeiras have offered him another contract until the end of 2027 and, deep down, no Palmeiras fan wants him to leave. The passion between Abel and Palmeiras is one of the most beautiful things that has ever happened and we will always be by his side.' Palmeiras fans know they cannot stop Estêvão from leaving but they worry that Chelsea is not the 'ideal destination' for the youngster. 'Chelsea are a team with many ups and downs,' says Rojas. 'They are signing a lot of young players but they fire coaches and lack experienced players who can help players like Estêvão in their day-to-day life. All this without mentioning the difference of living in another country and facing a harsh winter. He is a person, not a machine. Perhaps the Spanish league or a team like Arsenal would be more natural for him.' PVC also has 'doubts' about Chelsea. 'Chelsea bought three young Brazilian players before: Deivid Washington who went back to Santos; ngelo, who went to Strasbourg; and André Santos, who returned from Strasbourg to Chelsea but he has only played a few minutes in the Club World Cup. Estêvão is too young for a club that is in a new phase. I don't think it's the best decision, but young Brazilian players always want to go to Europe as quickly as possible.' This is an article by Tom Sanderson
