Estevao Willian continues to make history in Brazil as he prepares for his £51 million transfer to Chelsea this summer.
Last weekend, Estevao scored his fifth goal of 2025 in a 3-0 victory for Palmeiras against Sao Bernardo in the Campeonato Paulista. In a remarkable play, Estevao controlled the ball, kept his defender behind him, and struck a powerful shot into the top corner from outside the box. This was just one of his two goals during his 82 minutes on the field.
His stunning performance has earned praise from the Brazilian media. Tribuna called his goal “a thing of beauty,” while Playoffs pointed out that Estevao has now scored 30 goals, surpassing Neymar’s record and becoming the first Brazilian to achieve this before turning 18.
Meanwhile, Globo Esporte emphasized Estevao’s importance to Palmeiras. The report noted that his impressive form has helped push the team closer to winning the Paulistao for a fourth consecutive year. The article also highlighted how Estevao makes things “seem easy” in the Palmeiras jersey and is likely to motivate his teammates after a slow start to the season.
Palmeiras manager Abel Ferreira praised the young talent on Saturday night, saying: “We had Estevao at his best level, in two or three finishes he scored two great goals and he could have scored more. You like to talk a lot about individuals, but it’s part of the collective spirit of the team… You saw him make a tackle to help [Marcos] Rocha defend. That’s why Chelsea paid €60 or €70 million for him.”
Estevao also earned respect from the opposing team. Sao Bernardo’s coach, Ricardo Catala, commented: “It’s very difficult to mark players like Estevao or create a specific strategy for him because he’s a top talent. What we have to do is what we’ve been working on since the first day of pre-season – to be a compact, organised team, working closely together, so we can reduce the threats a player like Estevao poses, knowing that he can decide the game at any moment.”
After the match, Estevao took to Instagram to express his gratitude, saying: “Just thank God for everything He does in my life. All honour and glory is given to God.”
Despite Estevao’s rapid rise in Brazil and his growing highlight reel, his success at Chelsea might not be immediate. While he may not be a starter next season, there is still potential for him to make a significant early impact at Stamford Bridge.
