Estevao Willian has opened up on his feelings after missing Brazil’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament.
The 19-year-old had been tipped to play a huge role for the five-time champions under Carlo Ancelotti, but he suffered a serious hamstring injury in the course of the season at Chelsea which ruled him out of the tournament.
He was left out of the initial 55-man squad, before Ancelotti also left him out of the final 26-man squad for the tournament.
“Playing in the World Cup is a dream come true, everyone hopes for it. Even more so for me, since I was involved in the whole process”, Estevao revealed.
“So that was a moment of great, great sadness in my heart. I cried so much in my parents’ arms, no joke, I cried a lot. It’s in moments like these that you need the people you love, and I’m very grateful for that.
“When I woke up, I went to take a shower, the doctor called me three times, the day he said he was going to give me a result. Then I called him and he said: ‘Bring your parents here because we want to talk to them too”, the Chelsea winger added.
“We already knew that if they were going to give any other news, they would say it right then and there, to my face, but when they told me to bring my parents there, I already had a feeling that something bigger was coming.
“I think the hardest moment was when I actually found out the news, that it was grade four. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as grade four, I didn’t even know it existed. But unfortunately it happened, but life goes on. Now it’s about recovering well and getting treatment to get back as soon as possible”, the teenager concluded.
Brazil have since won both of their warmup matches against Panama and Egypt and will begin their campaign against Morocco on Saturday.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
