Messi Meets Estevao Willian: Shirt Swap Between Star and “Messinho”

Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and Palmeiras’s Estevao Willian, known as “Messinho,” swapped shirts at half-time during their FIFA Club World Cup match. Estevao was confident enough to ask for the Argentina star’s shirt during the last Group E game. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, as both sides progressed to the knockout rounds.

MESSI, “MESSINHO” SHIRT SWAP

Estevao impressed in the first half, putting Inter Miami’s experienced defence under pressure with his superb dribbling skills and pace. He played a vital role in both goals scored by Palmeiras and came close to finding the back of the net himself. He rose to the occasion in one of the biggest matches of his short career so far and enjoyed the half-time reward, given it made him “nervous”.

TORCH-PASSING MOMENT

Estevao, who will join Chelsea in the summer, is widely regarded as one of the best young forwards in world soccer. The 17-year-old firmly established himself as a first-team regular at Palmeiras as they lead the Serie A in the past few seasons, and he has produced a string of strong performances in the Club World Cup to further improve his reputation. He is already being hailed as football’s next superstar, and this could be interpreted as a torch-passing moment between him and Messi, widely considered as the greatest player of all time, as well as his idol.

WHAT IS NEXT?

While Messi scored his 21st goal in the Inter Miami colors, Estevao won the Player of the Match award for his inspiring display on the pitch. Former Barcelona striker Suarez, who wore the captain’s armband, though, was fortunate to escape a red card following a two-footed lunge on Estevao in the 90th minute.