Chelsea winger Estêvão admitted “an order” came from Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti to step aside and allow Lucas Paquetá to take the team’s second penalty against Tunisia.
The 18-year-old had already successfully converted from the spot on the brink of halftime to get Brazil back on level terms at the Decathlon Arena on Wednesday evening. The Seleção were then awarded another penalty in the 76th minute, opening the door for Estêvão to claim a brace.
Yet it was Paquetá, who had only just come onto the pitch 15 minutes prior, that took the spot kick for Brazil. The West Ham midfielder sent his effort sailing over the crossbar, ultimately sealing a 1–1 draw for his side.
“I really wanted to take the spot-kick but the order came in,” Estêvão revealed following the disappointing result.
“I supported my teammate so he could score the goal. Unfortunately, he missed, but heads held high, we have to train, improve because in a World Cup we have to take advantage of these opportunities.”
Brazil’s draw with Tunisia was their final action of the year. Estêvão found the back of the net in both matches during the November international window, bringing his tally up to five goals in 11 appearances for the Seleção.
The teenager has more than made his case to be included in Ancelotti’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but it is clear he still has some work to do to earn the full trust of his new manager.
Ancelotti Reveals Reason Behind Head-Scratching Penalty Decision
Ancelotti came under fire for changing his team’s penalty taker with the game on the line. The former Real Madrid manager addressed the controversial move following the match.
“For the second penalty, I changed penalty taker because I wanted to take some of the pressure off Estêvão, so I put Paquetá in, who usually takes them very well,” Ancelotti said.
The gamble did not pay off, but the 66-year-old will have greater worries than the missed spot kick. Despite dominating possession, Brazil only managed three shots on target against a wildly inferior opponent.
Failing to score from open play with an attack featuring Real Madrid stars Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, along with Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha, sounded plenty of alarm bells for a team hoping to claim World Cup glory in just seven months.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Estevao Reveals Sequence of Events Behind Brazil Penalty Drama.
