Chelsea's Rising Star Destined for Ballon d'Or Glory, Hailed as 'Football Genius'
Chelsea's talented young star Estêvão has received backing from Tunisia's head coach Sami Trabelsi to claim the Ballon d'Or in years to come, following a remarkable beginning to his budding career.
The Brazilian sensation established himself as one of soccer's most exciting prospects at Palmeiras and joined Chelsea in 2024, before linking up with the London club following their FIFA Club World Cup victory last summer.
The 18-year-old has enjoyed a brilliant introduction to life at Stamford Bridge, appearing 16 times across all tournaments for Chelsea while netting four goals. This outstanding form has carried over to international duty as well, with four strikes for Brazil's national team since early September.
One of these goals came in the match against Senegal last Saturday at the Emirates Stadium, with Estêvão set to participate in Brazil's second international friendly on Tuesday versus Tunisia.
Ahead of the match taking place in France, Tunisia's manager Trabelsi offered glowing comments about Estêvão, suggesting he has the potential to become a future Ballon d'Or champion.
Tunisia Manager Mightily Impressed by Estêvão
Trabelsi's appreciation for the Chelsea sensation is evident. The 57-year-old coach was so impressed by Estêvão that he described him as a "genius" three times during his pre-match media obligations before Tuesday's encounter.
"I believe he's an emerging football genius, incredibly young," Trabelsi shared with ESPN. "I think he's performing exceptionally well and he's a talent who can be anticipated to rank among the elite, among the world's finest, undoubtedly, in the years ahead."
He continued: "Should he manage to deliver strong performances or secure trophies, whether with his team or country, he will be among the athletes who, in future years, might even contend for the Ballon d'Or."
Trabelsi's praise didn't end there. "He provides numerous options, tremendous skill, abundant genius. There aren't many athletes of that caliber, of that category of brilliance, on the global scene."
Estêvão will be looking to keep impressing Brazil's manager Carlo Ancelotti in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the Seleção will learn their group stage rivals during December's draw.
The versatile attacker has already captured the attention of Enzo Maresca and will be eager to contribute in Chelsea's upcoming fixture away at Burnley this Saturday.