Brazil: Forget Neymar, it’s Esteban’s time now!

In an international friendly match that just ended, the Brazilian team defeated Senegal 2-0. In this campaign, Neymar did not play, but the 18-year-old rising star Esteban shined and ignited the audience with a wonderful goal.

In the 28th minute of the game, this talented young man playing for Chelsea broke into the opponent's penalty area like lightning, and then hit a powerful and heavy shot from an angle into the dead center, opening the scoring for the "Seleção". This goal completely broke the deadlock. Less than 10 minutes later, Casemiro scored another victory to seal the victory.

Today, Esteban is the most watched rising star in South America. He has been in hot form recently - he has scored 4 goals in the last 3 starts for the Brazilian national team! Under the guidance of coach Carlo Ancelotti, the youngster is rising at an alarming rate and quickly ranks among the elite of European football.

After the game, Ancelotti, who always cherishes words, gave a rare compliment: "He is a very talented player who does not need much time to show his strength. The Brazilian team is lucky to have Esteban, and the same is true for Chelsea - they have found a treasure!" You know, for the famous Italian coach to praise him so emotionally, it shows how special Esteban is.

In Brazil, Esteban is affectionately called "Messinho" (Little Messi) by fans because his playing style is very similar to Messi: he is good at flashing and maneuvering in small spaces, breaking through at high speeds, and has outstanding dribbling ability. Especially his iconic high-speed inside cuts and continuous cycling movements, which are reminiscent of Ronaldinho at his peak.

Although he is mainly deployed on the right, Esteban is actually a left-footed player. This "back-footed winger" characteristic allows him to always cut inside unexpectedly to create murderous opportunities, bringing a strong offensive surprise. He plays "street football" full of spirituality - the kind of improvisation and creativity that was once regarded as the soul of Brazilian football but has become increasingly rare in recent years. However, unlike Neymar, Esteban is not obsessed with showing off his skills. His playing style is more direct and efficient.

Because of this, he frequently performs jaw-dropping goals, just like the first goal against Senegal. Ancelotti also emphasized: "His shooting efficiency is extremely high, which is what I appreciate most." Currently, in the Brazilian team, fans' expectations for the World Cup are no longer pinned on Vinicius or Rodrygo, but on the 18-year-old new core - Esteban is regarded as the most trustworthy offensive hope in the 2026 World Cup.

Chelsea clearly has a priceless treasure. Looking back at the beginning of October last year, it was Esteban who scored the Liverpool goal in stoppage time and helped the Blues reverse the victory 2-1. At that moment, coach Enzo Maresca was so excited that he ran wildly along the sideline to celebrate. The scene seemed like Mourinho was possessed by Mourinho. You know, to be able to make a calm coach lose his temper like this shows how much shock this teenager brought.

And all this is not accidental. When Chelsea spent 60 million euros to sign Esteban, who was only 16 years old, it caused a lot of doubts. Now it seems that this investment is a stroke of genius. The London team has been lacking such an explosive and creative attacker in the past few years. It is widely predicted by the outside world that it won't be long before Esteban will surpass Cole Palmer and become the number one star of the new generation at Stamford Bridge.

The era belonging to Neymar may be fading away, but a new chapter belonging to "Little Messi" Esteban has already begun