SUMMARY
- Estevao 'Messinho' Willian plays for the Brazilian club Palmeiras.
- 'Messinho' is a huge fan of Lionel Messi and FC Barcelona.
Brazilian soccer has been once again blessed with a supremely talented star, and this time, it’s Estevao Willian. After Vinicius Jr., Vitor Roque, and Endrick, Estevao Willian is the latest in a line of promising Brazilian soccer players who have been heralded as the future of the game.
Nicknamed ‘Messinho’, Estevao Willian is a 16-year-old soccer player who plays for the Brazilian club Palmeiras. Willian started his soccer career at the Brazilian club Cruzeiro where he played from 2017 to 2021. Interestingly, it was at Cruzeiro where Willian received his nickname since his playing traits resembled Lionel Messi. He joined Palmeiras in 2021 and recently scored his first professional goal.
Just 16-year-old Estevao, also known as ‘Messinho’, scoring for Palmeiras in the Copa Libertadores against Liverpool 😎pic.twitter.com/zu58jfeuzL
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) April 12, 2024
Estevao Willian made his professional debut for Palmeiras’ senior team earlier this year. Ironically, it was against his former club, Cruzeiro, on the final day of the Brazilian Serie A season, and won the league title. He also became the fourth-youngest player ever in Palmeiras’ history after making his debut aged 16 years and eight months.
🚨🇧🇷 Fantastic debut for Brazilian star Estevão Willian, called ‘Messinho’ since he was a kid.
⭐️ Estevão scored on his professional debut aged 16 years, 11 months, 18 days.
Chelsea and more clubs keep following him.
❗️ PSG had €90m bid rejected for Estevão + Endrick in 2022. pic.twitter.com/ZA9vBqO56l
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 12, 2024
He scored his first professional goal for Palmeiras during his side’s Copa Libertadores clash against Liverpool Montevideo. After Vitor Roque and Endrick sealed big-money moves to FC Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively, Willian has also been attracting attention from some of Europe’s top clubs. As per the reports, clubs like FC Barcelona, Manchester City, and PSG are keeping close tabs on the Brazilian wonderkid.
Estevao Willian’s stats and achievements at Palmerias
To date, Estevao ‘Messinho’ Willian has made seven appearances for Palmeiras’ first team. He has scored one goal and provided one assist so far. Playing for Palmeiras’ youth teams, Estevao Willian has a much more prolific record. Willian has scored six goals and provided three assists for Palmeiras’ U-20 side (via Transfermarkt).
Playing for the club’s youth teams, Estevao Willian has won the Campeonato Paulista Sub-15, Campeonato Paulista Sub-17, and Campeonato Paulista Sub-20. Moreover, Willian has also won two Copa do Brasil Sub-17, two Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-17, and one Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior. At the senior level, he won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A last year and the Campeonato Paulista in 2024.
Estevao Willian dreams of playing for FC Barcelona like his idol
It is easy to identify who Estevao Willian’s idol is given his nickname is ‘Messinho’. Similar to his idol, Estevao also dreams of playing for FC Barcelona one day. During an old interview, Estevao admitted that he grew up watching the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., and Luis Suarez play for FC Barcelona. He also revealed that he’s a huge fan of the Catalan club and tries to watch every time the club plays.
Upon being asked whether he would like to play at the iconic Camp Nou one day, Estevao replied, “Yes, it would be a dream come true.” Although, Estevao’s dreams might be fulfilled sooner than he thought. As per reports, FC Barcelona sporting director Deco likes Estevao Willian and wants to sign him in the near future.
🚨🚨✅| Deco has his eyes SET on Palmeiras’ 16 year old star Estevão Willian ‘Messinho’ for the future!
• His agent is Andre Cury
• The player will prioritize FC Barcelona over any club.
• Messinho’s dream club is Barça & his idol is Leo Messi.@RogerTorello [🎖️] pic.twitter.com/6nb9b3qWk2— Managing Barça (@ManagingBarca) July 14, 2023
However, the Spanish giants have to make decisions quickly since Manchester City and PSG also want to sign the 16-year-old Brazilian. FC Barcelona’s financial crisis might hinder the process and allow City or PSG to swoop in and hijack the deal. Nevertheless, FC Barcelona would be hoping that it wouldn’t be a problem and try their best to acquire Estevao Willian or ‘Little Messi’.