Estevao Willian was at the heart of the action when Brazil enjoyed a 4-0 win over India at the Salt Lake Stadium in Calcutta on Saturday.
Brazil's forward #11 Estevao Willian (R) celebrates after scoring a goal during the international friendly football match between India and Brazil at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on October 3, 2026
Estevao fired Brazil to a 4-0 win over India in a friendly on Saturday.(Image: Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP via Getty Images)
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Chelsea need to do whatever it takes to keep Estevao Willian at Stamford Bridge. The 19-year-old winger, whom the Blues signed from Palmeiras for £29million in May 2024, fired Brazil to a 4-0 win over India in a friendly at the Salt Lake Stadium in Calcutta on Saturday.
Estevao broke the deadlock shortly before the half-hour mark, cutting inside from the right flank onto his left foot and smashing the ball past the goalkeeper at the near post. A few moments later, the teenager helped Carlo Ancelotti's side double their lead, teeing up Pedro.
He sliced open the opposition backline, threading an excellently weighted pass between the left-back and the centre-half into the path of his teammate. Estevao was eventually substituted midway through the second half, and the last of 10 changes, coming off for Breno Bidon.
The Chelsea wonderkid has now managed to average a goal or assist every 88 minutes for Brazil, scoring six goals and providing one assist in just 618 minutes. A little over a year ago, he became the youngest player to score a goal for Seleção in a competitive match since Pelé at the 1958 World Cup.
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Although Estevao hardly faced the same level of opposition as he would when in a Blues shirt, with India ranked 138th in the world by FIFA, he made an excellent impression, showing Xabi Alonso exactly why he deserves a chance in the starting lineup, especially with Joao Pedro currently nursing a knock.
So far this season, Estevao has played no more than 150 minutes across six games for the Blues, and four of those appearances came off the bench in the Premier League, totalling a combined 23 minutes.
The other two were in the Carabao Cup, when Chelsea faced Luton Town and Leeds United in the second and third rounds, respectively. Estevao showed glimpses of promise, but when tasked with shouldering the workload in the final third against Daniel Farke's side, he disappointed.
The Blues wonderkid was hooked at half-time, and his replacement, Cole Palmer, came off the bench to inspire a comeback. Despite a slow start to life under his new manager, Estevao remains focused on helping Chelsea win silverware.
Speaking to ESPN in Brisbane, Australia, at the start of the international break, he said: "I think every coach has their own way of playing. Of course, we work every day, I give my best every day, and that's what I do.
"We have quality players at Chelsea, so what I do is focus on what I can control. I try to give my best in training. When I get an opportunity, I try to give my best; it goes day after day. I try to seize every opportunity I have, I try to control everything I can, and I leave it in God's hands, and I trust myself a lot, too."
Estevao Willian Almeida de Oliveira Goncalves of Brazil looks on during the International Friendly match between Australia Socceroos and Brazil at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on September 25, 2026 in Townsville, Australia
Estevao Willian on international duty with Brazil. (Image: Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
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At the start of September, Alonso insisted that he's '100 per cent' relying on Estevao, despite having rarely featured in the opening weeks of the campaign. The Chelsea manager told reporters: "I count on Este 100 per cent, because of his potential and the fact that he’s so young, he is in that process of adapting and learning quickly.
"The season is going to be long, and players that have the desire and hunger to prove and show every day they are up for the challenge is what we want – and what we want to create here in the building.
"Este is part of it. He has a very good attitude and mentality to prepare for every game and be ready for the team."
football.london understands that higher-ups at Stamford Bridge continue to view Estevao as one of several 'untouchables' in the Chelsea squad. Despite rumoured interest from Barcelona, the winger is not for sale... and rightly so!
Jake Stokes
Jake Stokes