Brazil assistant coach Davide Ancelotti has singled out Chelsea's teenage winger Estevao Willian as the potential surprise package for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Ancelotti, who will serve on his father Carlo's coaching staff for Brazil at the tournament in North America this summer, made the prediction during an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live.
"The guy that will surprise you is someone that is not so well known," Ancelotti stated. "We have a lot of attacking players with different profiles. If I have to give you a name, Estevao is one of the rising talents of Brazil."
The 18-year-old prodigy joined Chelsea from Brazilian club Palmeiras last summer for an initial £29 million. Despite his youth, he has already made a significant impact, scoring eight goals and providing four assists in 34 appearances for the Premier League side.
Estevao recently returned from a hamstring injury and marked his comeback with a goal in Chelsea's 7-0 FA Cup quarter-final victory over Port Vale. His international credentials are equally impressive—he made his senior debut for Brazil at just 17 years old and has netted five times in 11 caps.
"He is a really big talent," Ancelotti emphasized. "He is a really good finisher, someone who can dominate in Europe as a talent for the next years."
Before his move to England, Estevao broke records at Palmeiras, surpassing Neymar's milestone at Santos to become the first under-18 player in Brazil's top flight to achieve a combined 20 goals and assists.
However, the possibility of Estevao sharing the World Cup stage with his childhood idol Neymar remains uncertain. The 33-year-old star, who returned to Santos in 2025, was omitted from Brazil's recent friendlies and has not featured for the national team since 2023 due to persistent injury struggles.