Estevao Willian scored two goals as Brazil thrashed South Korea 5-0 in an international friendly in Seoul on Friday.
The Chelsea teenager opened the scoring in the 13th minute when he timed an off-the-ball run to perfection before latching onto a pass from Bruno Guimaraes with a composed first-time finish.
Estevao found the net again early in the second half when his sharp pressing forced a turnover inside the Korean penalty area before he curled home with his left foot.
Rodrygo also scored twice in Friday’s win, while Real Madrid teammate Vinicius Junior was on target too.
Estevao Willian trebles international goal tally as Brazil batter South Korea
Friday’s game was only Estevao’s eighth senior international appearance for Brazil.
He had scored once in his previous seven, with that goal coming in a 3-0 victory over Chile in September.
Estevao therefore trebled his international goal tally during his dominant display in Seoul. He has now scored more goals for his country than Arsenal winger Gabriel Martinelli, who has two in 19 matches and was an unused substitute on Friday.
Estevao Willian’s stats in Brazil’s win over South Korea
Estevao started Friday’s game and remained on the field until the 70th minute.
Before being subbed off for West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta, Estevao touched the ball 36 times, including three touches in the Korean 18-yard box.
He had a 100% conversion rate from his two shots, created one chance for a teammate and completed 81% of his 21 passes.
Chelsea fans hail “Starboy” Estevao Willian
Estevao’s brace for Brazil came six days after he scored the winning goal for Chelsea in a dramatic 2-1 victory over Liverpool.
Blues supporters are hugely excited about the 18-year-old right now and many took to social media to show their admiration after his latest performance.
One fan posted: “Three goals in two games for Estevao Willian — my boy is on fire.”
Another wrote: “Estevao Willian scored Gabriel Martinelli’s entire Brazil career total in just 47 minutes. My Starboy.”
Meanwhile, multiple fans declared: “Estevao Willian is HIM.”
Others focused on his maturity at such a young age, with one tweet reading: “Estevao is already carrying Brazil at the age of 18.”
Multiple Chelsea fans said “Estevao Willian is HIM” after his fine performance for Brazil against South Korea
Estevao Willian compared to Neymar
A recurring theme among fans online was comparison with Neymar, who remains Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals.
One supporter claimed: “Estevao is the actual heir to Neymar’s throne — this boy is a star.”
Another said: “People said Raphinha would be the next Neymar at 28. Estevao is proving he’s the next Neymar at 18.”
A third fan wrote: “Estevao is genuinely the best Brazilian talent since Neymar. Generational player.”
Will Neymar and Estevao Willian both go to the World Cup with Brazil?
Estevao looks almost certain to be part of Brazil’s squad for the expanded 2026 World Cup next summer, especially if he continues to play regularly for Chelsea between now and the end of the season.
Neymar’s situation is less straightforward. He has not played for his country since October 2023 and has missed multiple squads under Carlo Ancelotti. At 33, fitness and form remain major question marks.
Since rejoining Santos at the start of the year, his contribution has been limited by three separate injuries. He has featured in less than half of their matches and most of his goals and assists have come against lower-league opposition in the state championship rather than Brazil’s top flight.
There is also doubt over how Ancelotti views him. Neymar — who is reportedly in line to inherit around $1 billion from a mystery donor — initially insisted he was being left out for “technical reasons” rather than fitness, before the coach later suggested it was a mix of both.
Brazil legend Cafu has already warned that “even stars have to prove they’re fit” and described the situation as “concerning” if Neymar cannot stay available.
Public opinion is split too. Polling in Brazil earlier this year showed almost half of fans want him in the World Cup squad, but a large minority believe it’s time to move on.
Based on the latest betting odds, Brazil are said to have an implied 11.76% probability of winning the World Cup next year, with only Spain, France and England rated as more likely champions.
