Brazil 3-0 Chile: Estevao shines but Chelsea teammate Joao Pedro fails World Cup audition

A comfortable win over Chile saw Estevao shine, while Luiz Henrique made a case for inclusion—and Douglas Santos impressed in an unexpected role.

Brazil were already assured of their place at the 2026 World Cup. Chile, by contrast, had nothing to play for, rooted to the foot of the South American qualifying table and mathematically eliminated. Despite the atmosphere inside a packed Maracana, Thursday night’s match was little more than a glorified friendly. For Carlo Ancelotti, though, it was a chance to experiment—and observe.

Of those who started, none did more to seize the opportunity than Estevao.

The Chelsea starlet, just 17 years old, opened the scoring in Brazil’s 3-0 win with a bicycle kick from close range. Goals from Lucas Paqueta and Bruno Guimaraes followed, both assisted by the electric Luiz Henrique, who made an immediate impact off the bench.

Estevao more than just a goalscorer for the Selecao

The Maracana crowd seemed to know something special was coming. Estevao received one of the warmest receptions when the teams were announced—behind only Ancelotti himself. Former Flamengo man Wesley and ex-Fluminense prospect Joao Pedro also drew cheers, but it was the teenager who most captured the imagination.

Ancelotti set Brazil up in an aggressive 4-2-4 formation designed to press high and attack with intensity. In a front four brimming with energy, Estevao was tasked with pulling the strings—despite being the youngest player on the pitch.

Once a central midfielder at youth level, Estevao now operates out wide, but his performance on Thursday showed he still possesses the vision and creativity of a traditional playmaker. With Raphinha relatively quiet despite wearing the number 10 shirt, it was the youngster who stepped up to provide Brazil’s attacking spark.

And that spark led to the breakthrough. After sustained pressure throughout the first half, Estevao reacted first to a rebound and executed a bicycle kick finish—admittedly just centimetres from the line—to give Brazil the lead before the interval.

Luiz Henrique stakes his claim, Joao Pedro disappoints

While Estevao offered promise for the future, Luiz Henrique’s performance was impossible to overlook. The Real Betis forward may not have been called up had Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo been fit, but he is making a compelling case for regular inclusion.

Introduced in the second half, Henrique played like a man determined to win his place. Within minutes, he had created two goals: one assist for Paqueta and another driving run that led to Bruno Guimaraes’ finish.

Ancelotti has always favoured players who combine work-rate with technical quality—and Henrique delivered both.

One of the most surprising selections of the night came at left-back, where Ancelotti handed a start to Douglas Santos of Zenit St Petersburg—a name rarely mentioned in conversations about the national team.

Yet the 30-year-old looked assured throughout. He defended solidly, supported attacks with well-timed overlaps, and was involved in the move that led to one of Brazil’s three goals. While not a headline-maker, his performance may have solved a lingering positional problem ahead of the World Cup.

On a less positive note, Joao Pedro failed to make the most of his audition to be Brazil’s number nine at the World Cup.

The Chelsea forward has been in superb club form, scoring five and assisting twice in his first six matches this season. That form earned him a start, but not in the number 9 shirt—instead, he wore '7' and led the line.

While his movement and hold-up play were decent, Pedro struggled to make an impact and lacked the cutting edge needed to cement his claim. With Ancelotti weighing his attacking options for the tournament, this was a missed opportunity for the 22-year-old.

This article was originally published on T rivela.