If you’re a talented young attacking South American footballer, it’s likely that you’ll be dubbed the next Pele/Maradona/Messi, etc, by the international media, who love to throw a big name into a headline.
Some players will relish comparisons of this nature, while others will prefer to operate more under the radar and carve out their own legacy.
One of the latest hot young properties to come out of South America is Chelsea new boy Estevao, the 18-year-old forward that the Blues bought for £29million from Palmeiras last summer. The teenager, who has now arrived at Stamford Bridge in time for the 2025/26 season, has been dubbed ‘Messiho’ due to similarities with the Argentinian icon.
Estevao opens up on being compared to Lionel Messi
And it would appear the teenager falls into the camp of those who do not want to be compared to other players.
“I don’t remember who came up with it, but it just caught on straight away,” Estevao tells FourFourTwo. “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.”
The youngster has also been compared to his countryman Neymar, a player he idolised growing up. When Estevao signed up with Nike as ten ten-year-old old, he was thrilled to be following in his hero’s footsteps.
“I only knew about Nike because of Neymar,” he continues. “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.”
