Rising Star on the Big Stage: Estêvão Delivers Under Pressure For Seleçao
Chelsea teenager, Estêvão Willian is already beginning to feel like Brazil’s next great hope. Since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Palmeiras, he’s charmed the Premier League with his technique, pace, and fearlessness and now, he’s proving to be a key figure for the Seleção too.
The 18-year-old attacker scored his fifth goal in his last six appearances for Brazil on Tuesday, calmly converting a penalty in a 1–1 draw with Tunisia in an international friendly in Lille. With his side trailing after a defensive lapse, Estêvão stepped up just before halftime, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way and firing high into the right corner, a finish full of composure, confidence, and the kind of authority not usually associated with someone barely out of their teens.
Brazil would later miss a second penalty through Lucas Paquetá, leaving Estêvão’s strike as the moment that salvaged the result. But beyond the scoreline, the match felt like another milestone in the youngster’s accelerating rise. Trusted with penalty-taking responsibility, given creative freedom in the final third, and showing maturity beyond his years, Estêvão looked every bit a player ready to become a central figure for Brazil.
In October, he produced a brilliant brace against South Korea in a 5–0 win, showcasing both his flair and his ability to influence games decisively. In September, he announced himself on the world stage with a stunning overhead kick against Chile in World Cup qualifiers—a goal widely hailed as one of the finest of the campaign. Across these performances, the theme has been the same: Estêvão doesn’t just play; he takes moments and transforms them.
Opposition coaches have begun to single him out as a generational talent, praising his balance, creativity, and ice-cold temperament in front of goal. At club level, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has lauded his humility and his ability to change games with just a handful of touches. The feeling inside Stamford Bridge is that they’ve secured not just a future star, but a potential world-beater.
For Brazil, his emergence could not be better timed. As the national team rebuilds toward the 2026 World Cup, figures like Estêvão represent the bridge between a fading golden generation and a promising new wave. Each goal he scores, each moment he commands, strengthens the belief that he is not simply a bright young player but a future cornerstone of the national team.
If his trajectory continues at this pace, the question will soon shift from whether Estêvão can become a star, to just how great he can be. And on nights like the draw with Tunisia, with the pressure on and the spotlight bright, he continues to provide the same answer: he’s only just getting started.