Seventeen-year-old striker Estêvão is set to join Chelsea next year from Palmeiras and has received his first call-up to Brazil’s national team by coach Dorival Júnior. He is expected to participate in two upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Veteran forward Neymar, who is still recovering from an ACL injury sustained last year, remains absent. Estêvão has garnered attention as a potential rising Brazilian star and may debut for the national team against Ecuador on Sept. 6, followed by a match against Paraguay four days later.

Brazil is currently ranked sixth in South American qualifying after playing six games. Estêvão displayed impressive skills in 19 Brazilian league matches this year, scoring five goals and providing five assists. Dorival Júnior, who became Brazil’s coach at the beginning of the year, excluded eight players who were part of Brazil’s Copa America squad, which was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Uruguay.

The squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers includes goalkeepers Alisson (Liverpool), Bento (Al-Nassr), and Ederson (Manchester City). The defensive line consists of players such as Danilo (Juventus), Yan Couto (Borussia Dortmund), Guilherme Arana (Atletico Mineiro), and Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain). The midfielders selected are André (Fluminense), Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle), Gerson (Flamengo), João Gomes (Wolverhampton), and Lucas Paquetá (West Ham). The striking department features players like Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Endrick (Real Madrid), Vinicius Júnior (Real Madrid), Estêvão (Palmeiras), Luiz Henrique (Botafogo), Pedro (Flamengo), and Savinho (Manchester City).