Estevao: Neymar is my idol, I'm not a fan of 'Little Messi' nickname

Carlo Garganese

• Updated: 7 Oct 2025 04:57 CDT
• 3 min read

News

Chelsea wonderkid Estevao has spoken of his admiration for "idol" Neymar but says he is not a fan of the 'Little Messi' nickname he was given.

The teenage sensation hit the headlines this weekend when he scored his first goal for Chelsea, sweeping home a late winner at the back post to clinch a 2-1 win over champions Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea paid a fee that could reach €57 million (£49.47m) in order to sign Estevao from Palmeiras last year, although the attacker was allowed to stay in Brazil for the whole of last season.

He made his debut for the Blues in August against Crystal Palace and he has immediately become a fan favourite.

Esetavo speaks of love for Neymar

In an interview with FourFourTwo, Estevao has revealed how Brazil legend Neymar is his idol.

Such a young prodigy was Estevao that at the age of just eight he became a Nike athlete, following in the footsteps of his hero Neymar.

"In my head, I just thought I’d be getting free boots every month. I had no idea how big Nike was globally," he explained.

“I only knew about Nike because of Neymar.

"He was my idol growing up, and he wore Nike boots when he played for Santos.

"But I was too young to really understand what signing with Nike actually meant. In my head, I just thought I’d be getting free boots every month. I had no idea how big the brand was globally. When they told me I’d be wearing the same boots as Neymar, I was over the moon.”

The Brazil international was frequently dubbed ‘the next Lionel Messi’ after his emergence onto the senior stage with Palmeiras, even earning the nickname ‘Messinho’ (Little Messi) in the process.

But Estevao says it is a nickname he is not fond of.

“I don’t remember who came up with it, but it just caught on straight away,” he says.

“Neither I nor my family ever liked it much. Sometimes a nickname like that becomes a burden you didn’t ask for. You just want to play football, to do what you love – but that kind of label adds a pressure that’s not yours. Thankfully, I was able to leave it behind when I moved to Palmeiras.”

Estevao scored 27 goals in 83 games for Palmeiras before signing for Chelsea,

He won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 2023 and Campeonato Paulista in 2024.

He has been capped seven times by Brazil, scoring one goal.

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