Estêvão starts new chapter with Ancelotti after tough Chelsea start | OneFootball

Estêvão is back with the Brazil National Team. At 19, the Chelsea forward begins a new cycle under Carlo Ancelotti after missing the World Cup because of a serious muscle injury in his right thigh.

And his return comes at a curious moment: while the youngster quickly became one of the most decisive players of the Ancelotti era with the national team, the new season at Chelsea has started very differently.

“I don’t think it’s anxiety, I think it’s a privilege,” Estêvão said in Brisbane when asked about the possibility of regaining his place in the Brazil National Team. The quote sums up the moment well. After all, the forward sees the call-up as an opportunity to start over.

The boy who became Carlo Ancelotti’s top scorer

Estêvão’s relationship with the Italian coach quickly began to grow stronger. In 2025, the forward played seven matches for Brazil, five of them as a starter, and scored five goals, ending the year as the top scorer of the Carlo Ancelotti era.

He scored against Chile, twice against South Korea, and also found the net against Senegal and Tunisia. His last match before the injury was precisely against Tunisia, in November 2025. Estêvão scored a penalty in the 1-1 draw and reached five goals in just five starts.

Despite his young age, the player quickly earned his place in Carlo Ancelotti’s team. More than just goals, he offered depth, attacked spaces, and looked for one-on-one situations, giving Brazil’s attack a different option.

His first season at Chelsea was positive

Estêvão joined Chelsea from Palmeiras and had to adapt to English football, but he ended his first European season with interesting numbers. He made 36 appearances, scored eight goals, and provided three assists for the Blues in 2025/2026.

The Brazilian also started 20 of those matches and scored in three consecutive Champions League games. It was a season good enough to fuel expectations that 2026/27 would be the time for another leap forward. But the situation changed.

Xabi Alonso still hasn’t given him space

With Xabi Alonso in charge, Estêvão began the season almost completely out of the Premier League rotation. Up to the fifth round, he had appeared in four league matches, always as a substitute, totaling just 47 minutes.

He was never on the pitch for more than 15 minutes in any of those games. During that period, he neither scored nor assisted. In total, also considering the League Cup, Estêvão had six appearances and 148 minutes in 2026/27, still without goals or assists. It is a significant change compared to the previous year.

Resilience after frustration

Estêvão, however, prefers not to turn the situation into a problem. And he arrives at the Brazil National Team after going through something even more difficult: an injury that took away his chance to play in the last World Cup.

“My family was fundamental for me during that injury period,” the forward said. Estêvão admitted that missing the World Cup was painful, but explained that he began using one word as his guide: resilience. “Face it day by day, forget what has passed, and focus on the future,” he summed up.

Now, the future begins again with Carlo Ancelotti. The coach already knows what Estêvão can offer. And the five goals scored in the first stage of their relationship help explain why the Italian continues to back the youngster even after a difficult start to the season with the Blues.

At club level, Estêvão needs to win back his place. In the Seleção, curiously, he arrives with credit in the bank. And perhaps this new opportunity is exactly what he needed to become again the player Ancelotti discovered in 2025.

*André Freixo, special correspondent for Agência RTI Esporte, reporting directly from Portugal

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.