VIDEO: Neymar snubbed as Chelsea star Estevao crowns his all-time favourite Brazilian player

Future superstar Estevao was tasked with choosing between Brazil's greatest footballing icons when speaking to GOAL at the London Football Awards, in association with the Willow Foundation. The bracket-style game forced the Palmeiras academy graduate into immediate tough calls, where he notably selected Neymar over Ronaldinho and favoured Ronaldo Nazario ahead of Rivaldo to set up a tantalising semi-final lineup.

On the other side of the historical draw, the decisions carried equal weight for the highly-rated attacker. He confidently backed Pele to advance past Romario, before selecting the iconic winger Garrincha over Kaka, perfectly setting the stage for a spectacular final four showdown between the nation's most revered generational talents.

As the exhilarating bracket reached its climax, Estevao faced his most difficult modern comparison yet, ultimately choosing Neymar over Ronaldo to reach the grand finale. Conversely, his semi-final choice on the opposite side was instant, as he decisively picked Pele over his former international teammate Garrincha without a second thought.

When forced to make the ultimate decision between his personal hero and the Santos legend, the teenager respectfully put bias aside. He crowned Pele as the greatest, acknowledging the late icon's insurmountable historical legacy, most notably his unmatched achievement of being the only player in football history to win three World Cups.

Beyond engaging in social media debates, the 18-year-old has been establishing at Chelsea, registering seven goals and three assists across 32 appearances in all competitions. Unfortunately, his impressive momentum was recently halted by a hamstring injury sustained last month, which is expected to sideline him until late March.

Despite missing four crucial fixtures, the dynamic winger remains highly optimistic about his prospects for the upcoming global tournament. Having made his senior Brazil debut in September 2024 under Dorival Junior, he has already earned 11 caps and scored five international goals, making him a strong candidate to feature in the final squad this summer.

Meanwhile, the man who narrowly lost Estevao's bracket game is fighting his own battle to reach the 2026 World Cup. Neymar has been offered a vital lifeline after being included in manager Carlo Ancelotti’s expansive preliminary squad for the upcoming international friendlies against France and Croatia in late March.

The 34-year-old forward faces immense pressure to prove his match sharpness to the Italian tactician and CBF directors. He now has just one domestic game against Corinthians remaining to definitively convince Ancelotti that he deserves a coveted spot on the plane.