Under-17 star on Abel chat before Palmeiras debut: "I was surprised" | OneFootball

Luis Pacheco was one of the Academy Graduates who made his debut for Palmeiras last Saturday in the 4-1 victory over Juventude. The under-17 midfielder was called up for the first time and was already used by coach Abel Ferreira. The 17-year-old revealed the conversation he had just before stepping onto the field and said he was caught by surprise with the opportunity.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity that coach Abel gave me. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it. I was sitting on the bench, he called me over and asked me to watch what Andreas (Pereira) was doing, that I would come on at the 40th minute to do the same job. Thank God, everything went well,” said the player.

The youngster came on at the 41st minute in place of Andreas Pereira. Luis Pacheco, however, still has plenty of room to develop in Palmeiras’ youth categories. After the match, Abel Ferreira spoke about the youngster and asked for patience with expectations. The coach believes that Pacheco already has the ability to play for the under-20 team, a category in which the midfielder has already played.

Adaptation and reception in the first team

Pacheco joined Palmeiras in 2020. In the youth categories, he has 51 games, five goals, and some titles, such as two under-20 Brazilian Championships (2024 and 2025), one under-15 Paulista Championship (2023), and one Marveld Tournament (2023). The player spoke about adapting to the first team.

“I’ve been living days of gratitude, good training sessions with these experienced guys. I try to learn a lot from them, they are inspirations for me and for many young people around the world. The coaching staff helps a lot, since we’re moving up now and to help us adapt faster to the group. Having other young players here helps me, and I think it’s good for others to come and adapt more quickly too,” said Pacheco.

Palmeiras’ next match

Palmeiras vs. Red Bull Bragantino (28th round of the Brasileirão) Date and time: October 15, 2025 (Wednesday), at 7:00 PM (Brasília time) Venue: Allianz Parque, São Paulo (SP)

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