Wind the movie again to the tip of January. Estêvão, with 4 temporary substitute appearances beneath his belt, was a promise and a chance for Brazil‘s 2026 World Cup squad. Neymar, in the meantime, was a certainty. The one-time boy prince was returning to Santos, the place the story began, and his outdated membership was going to present him a platform to spherical off the narrative with one last try at World Cup glory.
Quick ahead 10 months, and issues have turned out very in another way. Estêvão goes from energy to energy and was given his first Brazil begin in Carlo Ancelotti’s debut match in cost. He’s making an excessive case to be an integral a part of the World Cup staff, serving to himself to 5 targets between September and November.
And the marvel strike — off his weak foot — in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Barcelona within the UEFA Champions League merely reinforces the purpose that Chelsea would appear to have signed probably the most sensible expertise to return out of Brazil since … Neymar.
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The unique wonderkid, in the meantime, has had a 2025 to overlook, rounded off by the information on Tuesday {that a} knee harm could properly hold him out of the final three video games of the season. With Santos within the relegation zone, that’s unhealthy information for him and unhealthy information for the membership.
The expectations had been in all probability at all times too excessive for a few causes.
First, there’s the extraordinary, nigh on miraculous, historical past of Santos. Within the late Nineteen Fifties and thru the early Nineteen Sixties, Pelé and his fantastic supporting forged fashioned arguably the best staff on the earth, and definitely probably the most simple on the attention. Glorious youth growth introduced again the glory years within the twenty first century, and lightning appeared to have struck twice when a baby-faced Neymar emerged and led them to the Copa Libertadores in 2011.
However this historical past will be one thing of a burden for a membership representing a metropolis of beneath half 1,000,000, tiny by the requirements of Brazil’s large golf equipment. As monetary gaps have opened up, it has turn into tougher for Santos to compete. In 2023, the primary season since Pelé’s passing, they suffered their first-ever relegation to the second division. They bounced straight again, and the hope was that the return of Neymar would add loads extra constructive momentum. Some noticed them as doable title contenders, however they had been aiming too excessive.
That is very true since Neymar was nonetheless attempting to shake off the results of a severe knee harm he suffered whereas taking part in for Brazil in October 2023. He was free to return to Brazil after Jorge Jesus, his coach at Saudi Arabian membership Al Hilal, refused to register him for the membership’s league marketing campaign. He merely was not match sufficient, stated the coach.
At the start of 2025, Neymar was an unknown amount as a footballer. And if that was true on the finish of January, it stays the case in late November. Judging him as a participant nonetheless appears harsh; he has by no means been capable of put collectively a sequence of video games that will allow him to rise up to full match health.
After such a protracted layoff, muscular issues had been to be anticipated, and he broke down in April after a few early rounds of the Brazilian Serie A.
There have been two extra video games earlier than the pause for the Membership World Cup, after which a two-month, nine-game sequence when the motion resumed in July. He was then out for an additional six weeks earlier than returning early this month, however then, worryingly, given the unique drawback, he went down with a knee harm that threatens to finish his season.
However when has he performed? In these 17 rounds (of 35 performed to date) during which he has been on the sector, how has he carried out? Neymar has not misplaced the flexibility to see and to execute a move that opens up the sector and his proficiency as a striker of a lifeless ball stays. However the standout function of peak Neymar was his talent as a dribbler, his expertise to vary route and improvise options at prime tempo.
This has not been seen, as he has discovered it arduous to get away from his marker. And with out this, it has not been simple for Santos’ coaches to discover a solution to make him helpful. A low level was the 6-0 defeat to Vasco da Gama in August. The lesson — and it value coach Cleber Xavier his job — was that it was not possible to play Neymar, a middle ahead and two wingers. With no steadiness between assault and defence, Vasco carved Santos to items.
The answer discovered by the brand new boss, Juan Pablo Vojvoda, has been to make use of Neymar as a free-roaming heart ahead, left upfield to keep away from defensive tasks, and likewise capable of drop and arrange the play from deep.
This association has had its moments, like when he scored within the final recreation he performed, towards Mirassol. However for Brazil’s all-time prime scorer, three league targets is a disappointing return and really irritating.
This has been a keynote of Neymar’s return, the sense of frustration that steadily comes near boiling over.
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What makes Estêvão a particular participant for Chelsea?
Stewart Robson and Craig Burley focus on Estêvão’s efficiency vs. Barcelona and his contribution in Chelsea’s assault.
It might need been hoped that the time away from the pitch would have centered his thoughts on ways in which he wanted to vary to succeed in his immense potential. As a substitute, he appears at struggle with everybody. With the referee (after all), along with his opponents, and, earlier this month, along with his personal teammates.
In opposition to Flamengo, he strutted across the Maracanã pitch, blaming everybody and anybody for the opposition’s 3-0 lead. He threw a mini-fit when he was substituted — and it got here throughout as poetic justice — when, in his absence, Santos pulled two targets again.
This was extraordinarily disappointing from a participant who, regardless of the public notion, has often been highly regarded within the varied dressing rooms he has been part of. However now, if he actually is dominated out of the final three video games of the season, he wants his teammates to return to his rescue.
What occurs if Santos are relegated? It’s removed from clear that the membership might afford to maintain Neymar, as there are already grumblings about his value and profit. However there’s certainly no manner that he might play his manner again into the Brazil squad from the second division. He would presumably be pressured to hurriedly repair himself up with one other membership.
The profession of Neymar has been filled with the type of twists and turns that he as soon as carried out in his exhilarating dribbles. One other one known as for now if he’s not to spend the 2026 World Cup on the sidelines, watching the twists and turns of Estêvão.
