Brazilian gem who dreams of Barcelona shines in the U-17 World Cup

Barcelona target Estevao Willian

Photo by Alex Caparros - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Many young players dream of playing for FC Barcelona. The Catalan giants are a huge attraction for both veterans and upcoming starlets alike. However, with that much interest and not enough space to accommodate everyone, competition is tough.

However, many of the players interested in joining Barcelona are also quite gifted to be fair to them. One such name is that of Estevao Willian, or as he is more commonly known, ‘Messinho’.

In his latest performance for Brazil in the Undef-17 World Cup, as highlighted by SPORT, the 16-year-old managed to turn many heads. Starting for Brazil against New Caledonia, the player was essential to the thrashing that was going to follow.

Winning 9-0 over their opponents, Brazil looked to be flying. Estevao himself also contributed significantly to the victory. Scoring a brilliant goal and providing three more assists, he was directly involved in 4 out of those 9 goals.

Previously, he had to come on from the bench against Iran in their opening group game. Ultimately, Brazil ended up losing that game with a scoreline of 3-2. Thus, to ensure progression into the knockout stages, this game against New Caledonia was one where Brazil had to win under any circumstances.

Apart from just his performances, Estevao has publicly even admitted his dream of wanting to play for Barcelona. Nicknamed after Barça legend Lionel Messi himself, the Brazilian idolizes the Argentine great and the Catalan club.

His dream remains consistent and Barça will ultimately be the ones to decide if they ever end up pursuing his signature. For now, La Blaugrana have ample depth in their forward line and have other positions to prioritize before going for luxury signings.