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The 17-year-old forward, set to join Chelsea in 2025, completed his first senior campaign with the Brazilian club on a bittersweet note as Palmeiras lost 1-0 to Fluminense on Sunday, leaving them short of the league crown.
Palmeiras’ title hopes hinged on a victory over Fluminense and a Botafogo defeat to Sao Paulo, but the latter scenario did not unfold.
Estevao, however, had little influence in preventing his side’s loss to the relegation-threatened Fluminense team, which was led by veteran Thiago Silva.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on the title, Estevao’s outstanding individual performances throughout the season earned him two major awards.
With 13 goals and nine assists in 31 Serie A appearances, he became the youngest player in Brazilian top-flight history to register over 18 goal contributions in a single campaign. This remarkable achievement saw him break a record by finishing with a combined total of 22 goals and assists.
Estevao’s stellar season led to him being named Breakthrough Player of the Year in Brazil, alongside the Best Striker accolade.
Despite primarily playing on the right flank, Estevao finished as the third-highest scorer in the league, contributing directly to over a third of Palmeiras’ 60 goals. Only Corinthians’ Yuri Alberto and Vitoria’s Alerrandro scored more goals than Estevao.
Reflecting on his season, Estevao admitted that the pain of missing out on the title overshadowed the personal accolades.
“There is a void in my chest, the most important thing was the title,” he told reporters after the loss. “We failed at a time when we couldn’t… we lacked efficiency. We couldn’t come away with the victory, we gave our all.”
Estevao will now prepare for his upcoming move to Chelsea, where he will spend time adjusting before his transfer in July 2025.
