Saka has been FAILED! Arsenal didn't protect their 'Starboy'

Top 10 Premier League signings of the season so far - ranked

Six Man Utd stars who should be on Amorim's naughty list

Salah reigns at Xmas as Liverpool trio send message to FSG

I miss Sam Kerr

📽️ | Pickford saves Haaland pen as Coleman's mind games pay off

Mbappe handed new nickname at Real Madrid after Sevilla stunner

Salah faces backlash from Muslim fans for Xmas post

Revealed: The two jobs Zidane would return to management for

Owen slams Liverpool fans who sing about ‘pretty average’ players

'You had one job!' - Brutal Messi MVP dig made by ex-USMNT star

Why Walker & Grealish have been left out of City’s squad

Mia Khalifa makes 9/11 comment amid Julian Alvarez romantic links

<p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><p style="display: none;">Article continues below</p><script type="application/json" data-placement="fcplayer-semantic">{"type":"fcplayer-semantic","data":{"embedCode":"//cdn.fcp.codes/embed-code-template/embed-code-template.js#SEMANTIC_5704afb8-c10b-4ba5-9cb4-d7fb6098ef90"}}</script><ul><li>Estevao to join Chelsea in July 2025</li><li>Has been often compared to Messi </li><li>Revealed that he idolises Neymar </li></ul><table><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va2ivxLJJhzdzbJdwo0n"><strong>Follow GOAL on WhatsApp!</strong></a> 🟢📱</td></tr></tbody></table>

'A nuisance!' - Estevao Willian explains why he doesn't like 'Messinho' nickname & makes emotional Neymar admission ahead of Chelsea move

Premier League

Ipswich

Chelsea

Paulista A1

Palmeiras

Portuguesa

<p>Estevao, who is set to join Chelsea in 2025 for a <a href="https://www.goal.com/en-gb/lists/chelsea-gbp56m-estevao-willian-deal-palmeiras/blt57be01458e565c74" target="_blank">£56 million ($73.1m) </a>transfer fee, has expressed his discontent over being nicknamed 'Messinho.' The moniker, <a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/chelsea-bound-wonderkid-estevao-willian-another-landmark-brazil-s-serie-a-latest-palmeiras-goal/bltf38f6a868e9a5241" target="_blank">a nod to Lionel Messi, </a>has followed him since his early days at Cruzeiro when he was just 10 years old. Despite its seemingly flattering nature, Estevao admitted the comparison is more of a burden than a compliment.</p>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<p>In a conversation with <a href="https://www.espn.com.br/futebol/palmeiras/artigo/_/id/14547053/palmeiras-estevao-confessa-nao-gosta-apelido-messinho-brinca-sobre-o-que-faria-se-encontrasse-neymar-acho-que-choro" target="_blank"><em>ESPN</em></a>, the 17-year-old revealed: "I confess that I haven’t liked being called Messinho since I was little. Since I was ten when I was playing for Cruzeiro. I don’t like comparisons. For those who don’t know how to deal with it, it can be quite a nuisance. At 17, I don’t have time to waste listening to criticism. I want to be happy, I love playing football, I want to enjoy it to the fullest. Me being Estevao is fine.”</p>

WHAT ESTEVAO SAID

<p>While Estevao has drawn inevitable comparisons to Messi due to his nickname, it is Neymar who holds a special place in his heart. The young midfielder has hailed his senior compatriot on several occasions, calling the Brazilian superstar his greatest inspiration, and has admitted he will be an emotional wreck when he finally meets him in person.</p><p>"With Neymar, it was only once that he reposted me, but I’ve never spoken to him personally," he said. "I think I will cry [when I meet him]. He’s a guy I look up to, I’ve always seen him play, the greatest reference in Brazil is a huge reference for me."</p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>Estevao emerged as a key figure for Palmeiras this season, contributing 13 goals and nine assists across 31 league matches. His remarkable contributions earned him a call-up to the Brazil national team by manager Dorival Junior, marking another milestone in his budding career. In October, he made headlines by breaking a longstanding record previously held by<a href="https://www.goal.com/en/lists/estevao-willian-wonderkid-chelsea-sensation-breaks-neymar-record-messinho-palmeiras-brazil-serie-a/blt9815ff461dbf0b4e#cs43c84a3e36183bb3" target="_blank"> Neymar as a 17-year-old.</a> The teenager tallied 17 goal contributions in a single season, surpassing Neymar’s record of 16 during his 2009 campaign with Santos.</p>

DID YOU KNOW?

<p>Esteavo's disdain for the ‘Messinho’ nickname reveals his desire to forge his own unique legacy, unencumbered by expectations or comparisons. With a record-breaking season behind him, a national team call-up, and a high-profile Chelsea move ahead, his future in football looks brighter than ever.</p>

WHAT NEXT?

'A nuisance!' - Estevao Willian explains why he doesn't like 'Messinho' nickname & makes emotional Neymar admission ahead of Chelsea move | Goal.com Cameroon

Estevao Willian has explained why he doesn&apos;t like his &apos;Messinho&apos; nickname while making an emotional Neymar admission ahead of his Chelsea move.

&apos;A nuisance!&apos; - Estevao Willian explains why he doesn&apos;t like &apos;Messinho&apos; nickname &amp; makes emotional Neymar admission ahead of Chelsea move