Will Estevao play in World Cup? Hamstring injury leaves Brazil star in doubt for 2026 FIFA tournament originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
In seeking to return Brazil to the top of the international football pyramid, Carlo Ancelotti will hope to have a fully fit squad to help make a deep run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Brazil are the most successful club in World Cup history with five overall titles, but they have not lifted the famous FIFA trophy since 2002.
Unfortunately, one of the most promising young stars positioned perfectly to contribute to a World Cup push may not be fit for action as the tournament approaches. Estevao has shown exceptional brightness early in his career for both club and country, having scored five goals in 11 international appearances thus far.
The Sporting News details what happened with Estevao and why he is unlikely to appear for Brazil in this summer's competition.
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18-year-old Chelsea starlet Estevao has developed into one of the club's most reliable attacking players in a season of difficulty for the squad as a whole in front of net.
With the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens struggling for form and fitness, and even superstar Cole Palmer taking a step back, Estevao has stepped up to be one of the most reliable players in front of net.
Unfortunately, that promising start to his Blues career has come to screeching halt as the young star suffered a hamstring injury early in Chelsea's 1-0 loss to Man United on April 18.
The Brazilian pulled up after reaching for a ball in the 16th minute of the match, unable to continue. He was quite devastated while coming off the pitch with the club's medical staff, having only just recently returned from a month-long absence with a similar injury.
"He [Estevao] was crying at half time; it was really devastating for him,” said then-Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior after the defeat to United.
“It looks like it's his hamstring and that has happened in a moment when he's running through on their goal for a one-v-one chance – he pulls his hamstring in that moment."
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Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that Estevao will be available for action with Brazil in the tournament this summer.
According to reports a few days after he suffered the injury, Estevao's injury is worse than initially thought. Scans have reportedly shown a "near-complete tear" of the hamstring, which will leave him sidelined at the very least for the remainder of the 2025-26 club season.
According to Brazilian outlet Globo, Chelsea wish for Estevao to have surgery immediately. A grade three hamstring strain usually requires surgery to repair, followed by a three-month absence. This course of action would undoubtedly rule him out of action for the World Cup.
However, the report also states that the Brazil national team wish for Estevao to "undergo conservative treatment" hoping to give him a chance to play at the World Cup. This course of action would be undertaken with "constant contact with the English club" but would likely come with a greater risk of injury recurrence in the aftermath.
If Estevao cannot pass fit for duty, or undergoes surgery, it means Ancelotti will need to find a replacement winger. It's possible that Neymar could be that individual, as the Santos star is currently on the fringes of the Brazil squad as the World Cup approaches.
Despite being just 18 years old, Estevao has unfortunately shown a susceptibility to muscle injuries early in his career.
Estevao has already missed matches on four different occasions because of muscle injuries, including a three-week absence during his time with Palmeiras in the 2024/25 season.