The Ballon d'Or race might see Estevao and Lamine Yamal step up to the podium as rivals for years to come, judging by Enzo Maresca's assessment of the duo after Chelsea's 3-0 win over 10-man Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.
In what was billed as the battle of the teenage wonderkids ahead of the game, it was Estevao who outshone Yamal with his best performance yet in Blues colours. He starred and scored a stunner in the victory at Stamford Bridge with Jules Kounde's own goal and Liam Delap's finish, handing the hosts one of their most famous European triumphs.
Yamal was a shadow of his usual exhilarating best, kept quiet by a superb defensive display from Marc Cucurella, who rightly earned the man of the match award. The Spaniard is playing with two of the best teens in world football for club and country and his manager believes they are heirs to two of the all-time greats.
Maresca's Yamal and Estevao Claim
Estevao
While it was a night to forget for Yamal it was one to cherish for Estevao whose strike will go down as one of the best in the competition this season. He gave Spanish goalkeeper Joan Garcia no chance, thumping the ball into the roof of the net for his side's second.
Maresca opted to bring the 18-year-old off in the 83rd minute ahead of Sunday's Premier League showdown with Arsenal. But he waxed lyrical not only about his Brazilian gem but also Barca's Yamal when speaking to beIN SPORTS:
"It has been a fantastic night for the players, for the club, for the fans... As Raphinha said, Estevao and Yamal will probably be the next Messi and Ronaldo."
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo duelled for a decade as Europe's untouchable duo and that included a tug-of-war over the Ballon d'Or award. Both have exited European football, opening the door for two of the current generation to step up and fill their boots.
lamine yamal
Yamal had long been tipped to do so, with many handing him the nickname 'the next Messi' but Estevao, dubbed 'Messinho' in his homeland, is the new name on everyone's lips, certainly after tonight's performance. Even Spanish media pointed out that he was the star of the show on a night this year's Ballon d'Or runner-up "ghosted".
Can Yamal and Estevao Replace Messi and Ronaldo?
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi
Many of the current generation have been tipped to follow in the footsteps of Messi and Ronaldo and dominate world football. That includes the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinícius Junior, and Erling Haaland.
But Yamal and Estevao could well be rivalling for the sport's top prizes individually and as part of a team because they are two tricksters who play 'the beautiful game', as Pele once put it. Their styles of play have fans off their feet each time they venture forward on the ball, and there is a feeling of inevitability when through on goal.
That said, trying to find heirs to Messi and Ronaldo is an impossible mission, at least from a statistical point of view. It will take some doing for the teenage duo to come anywhere close to achieving what the longtime rivals have in the game.
Maresca and Raphinha are well within their rights to make such bold predictions. But it's fairer to let the pair make names for themselves rather than be thrown into conversations about succeeding the most decorated player in history and the greatest goalscorer the game has ever seen.
Estevao Could Have Been Battling Yamal in El Clasico
Chelsea's Estevao applauds fans.
UEFA Champions League - Qarabag v Chelsea - Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan - November 5, 2025 Chelsea's Estevao after the match REUTERS/Aziz Karimov
Estevao was in demand when Chelsea came calling for his signature in May 2024, signing him ahead of that summer transfer window to ensure they got their hands on Brazil's next big thing. But it could have been all so different had Real Madrid chosen to rival the Blues for his signature and not cooled interest once a £29 million deal with Palmeiras was agreed.
Madrid were keen on the Selecao sensation and ESPN in Brazil reports that he was "analysed" and the decision not to swoop is now viewed with "some regret". He'd have been ideal in the La Liga giants' current situation with Vinicius Junior refusing to extend his contract due to a rift with manager Xabi Alonso.
Estevao could have been putting on a show like tonight, but in El Clasico if he were to have joined Los Blancos. That will have given analysts a better chance to assess whether we are talking about the next Messi and Ronaldo, who went toe-to-toe in the biggest rivalry in Europe.