![]() Willian with
Palmeiras in 2024 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Estêvão Willian Almeida de Oliveira Gonçalves | ||
Date of birth | 24 April 2007 | ||
Place of birth | Franca, Brazil | ||
Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) [1] | ||
Position(s) | Winger | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Palmeiras | ||
Number | 41 | ||
Youth career | |||
2017–2021 | Cruzeiro | ||
2021–2024 | Palmeiras | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | ( Gls) |
2023– | Palmeiras | 21 | (5) |
International career‡ | |||
2023– | Brazil U17 | 5 | (3) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 July 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 November 2023 |
Estêvão Willian Almeida de Oliveira Gonçalves (born 24 April 2007), simply known as Estêvão Willian, Estêvão, or by his nickname Messinho, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Palmeiras. He will join Premier League club Chelsea on 1 July 2025.
Estêvão was born in Franca, Brazil, and began his youth career with the academy of Cruzeiro in 2017. [2] The following year 2018 at the age of 10, Willian signed a professional contract with Nike, making him their youngest Brazilian player to sign with the company, surpassing Real Madrid footballer Rodrygo. [3]
Estêvão moved to the youth academy of Palmeiras on 6 May 2021, signing a trainee contract. [4] In the 2022 season, he helped the Palmeiras youth teams win the Campeonato Paulista Sub-17 , Campeonato Paulista Sub-15 , Copa do Brasil Sub-17 and Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-17. [5] In October 2023, Estêvão scored a hat-trick in the Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-17 final which ended in a 3–0 victory against São Paulo, to help his club to achieve their second consecutive title in the competition. [6]
On 7 December 2023, Estêvão made his professional debut for Palmeiras, coming off the bench in the 78th minute of a 1–1 draw away at Cruzeiro which sealed the Série A title win for Verdão. [7] At 16 years and 8 months, he became the club's fourth youngest player ever. [8]
Estêvão came back to the Palmeiras U-20 team for the Copinha 2024, and became a notable player of the competition and a primary player for the team in the competition. On 24 April 2024, he scored his first goal for Palmeiras in a 3–1 win over Liverpool during the 2024 Copa Libertadores group stage, becoming the third player under 17 to achieve this feat following Ângelo Gabriel and Endrick. [9]
On 22 June 2024, it was announced that Estêvão would join Premier League club Chelsea in the summer of 2025, upon his eighteenth birthday. [10] [11] [12] The deal reportedly commanded a €34 million fee, plus €23 million in performances-based incentives. [12]
Estêvão was first called up to represent the Brazil U17s in October 2022 for a set of friendlies in October 2022. [13]
Estêvão has been compared to Lionel Messi and Neymar. [14] He originally used the nickname Messinho as an homage to Messi, due to similarities in their respective playing styles. [15] He has also been praised for his maturity, his reading of the game and his decision making, which were all considered to be precocious. [16]
Club | Season | League | Paulista | Copa do Brasil | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Palmeiras | 2023 | Série A | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
2024 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 [a] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 7 | ||
Career total | 18 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 7 |
Palmeiras
![]() Willian with
Palmeiras in 2024 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Estêvão Willian Almeida de Oliveira Gonçalves | ||
Date of birth | 24 April 2007 | ||
Place of birth | Franca, Brazil | ||
Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) [1] | ||
Position(s) | Winger | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Palmeiras | ||
Number | 41 | ||
Youth career | |||
2017–2021 | Cruzeiro | ||
2021–2024 | Palmeiras | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | ( Gls) |
2023– | Palmeiras | 21 | (5) |
International career‡ | |||
2023– | Brazil U17 | 5 | (3) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 July 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 November 2023 |
Estêvão Willian Almeida de Oliveira Gonçalves (born 24 April 2007), simply known as Estêvão Willian, Estêvão, or by his nickname Messinho, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Palmeiras. He will join Premier League club Chelsea on 1 July 2025.
Estêvão was born in Franca, Brazil, and began his youth career with the academy of Cruzeiro in 2017. [2] The following year 2018 at the age of 10, Willian signed a professional contract with Nike, making him their youngest Brazilian player to sign with the company, surpassing Real Madrid footballer Rodrygo. [3]
Estêvão moved to the youth academy of Palmeiras on 6 May 2021, signing a trainee contract. [4] In the 2022 season, he helped the Palmeiras youth teams win the Campeonato Paulista Sub-17 , Campeonato Paulista Sub-15 , Copa do Brasil Sub-17 and Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-17. [5] In October 2023, Estêvão scored a hat-trick in the Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-17 final which ended in a 3–0 victory against São Paulo, to help his club to achieve their second consecutive title in the competition. [6]
On 7 December 2023, Estêvão made his professional debut for Palmeiras, coming off the bench in the 78th minute of a 1–1 draw away at Cruzeiro which sealed the Série A title win for Verdão. [7] At 16 years and 8 months, he became the club's fourth youngest player ever. [8]
Estêvão came back to the Palmeiras U-20 team for the Copinha 2024, and became a notable player of the competition and a primary player for the team in the competition. On 24 April 2024, he scored his first goal for Palmeiras in a 3–1 win over Liverpool during the 2024 Copa Libertadores group stage, becoming the third player under 17 to achieve this feat following Ângelo Gabriel and Endrick. [9]
On 22 June 2024, it was announced that Estêvão would join Premier League club Chelsea in the summer of 2025, upon his eighteenth birthday. [10] [11] [12] The deal reportedly commanded a €34 million fee, plus €23 million in performances-based incentives. [12]
Estêvão was first called up to represent the Brazil U17s in October 2022 for a set of friendlies in October 2022. [13]
Estêvão has been compared to Lionel Messi and Neymar. [14] He originally used the nickname Messinho as an homage to Messi, due to similarities in their respective playing styles. [15] He has also been praised for his maturity, his reading of the game and his decision making, which were all considered to be precocious. [16]
Club | Season | League | Paulista | Copa do Brasil | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Palmeiras | 2023 | Série A | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
2024 | 17 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 [a] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 7 | ||
Career total | 18 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 7 |
Palmeiras