The Chelsea player Estevao Willian swapped shirts with after quarter-final as he embraces several Blues stars

Chelsea have advanced to the semi-finals of the Club World Cup following their action-packed win over Palmeiras.

The Blues beat Palmeiras 2-1 on Saturday to extend their stay in the United States for the summer tournament.

Next, they face another Brazilian club and a familiar face when they play against Thiago Silva’s Fluminense in next Tuesday’s semi-final.

Estevao Willian, 18, was the major talking point going into the weekend’s quarter-final showdown because he will complete his move to Chelsea from Palmeiras this summer. He justified the hype with a dazzling performance against his future employers, too.

Even though Cole Palmer broke the deadlock with a superb early goal, Estevao equalised for Palmeiras in the second half with a thunderous finish from a tight angle. Incidentally, Palmeiras defender Giay Agustin netted an unfortunate own goal late on to decide the knockout tie.

Estevao is now valued at £74m by CIES Football Observatory, and it’s easy to see why with the way he’s performed at the Club World Cup.

Photo by Qian Jun/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images

Estevao Willian swapped shirts with Cole Palmer

Journalist Ben Jacobs claimed via X that Estevao and Palmer swapped shirts after Chelsea’s triumph against Palmeiras at the Club World Cup.

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Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images

The most exciting thing for Blues supporters is that they can now look forward to seeing Estevao and Palmer joining up as teammates imminently. On paper, they are two of the most talented young players in the world.

Estevao has looked like a star in the making with several eye-catching performances throughout the Club World Cup tournament. It took a lot of personality and composure for the attacker to deliver against Chelsea with so much pressure on his shoulders, too.

Back in May, Jason Cundy urged for patience with Estevao ahead of his Chelsea arrival, even though there are a lot of signs that suggest he’s ready to make a first-team impact from day one.

Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images

Estevao Willian embraces several Chelsea players after full-time whistle

As Palmeiras exited the competition following a defeat to Chelsea, Estevao looked visibly gutted on the pitch. However, he spoke with several opposition players that he’s about to call teammates.

The Brazilian wonderkid embraced Blues stars Palmer, Reece James, Pedro Neto, Dario Essugo and Liam Delap.

Estevao can cheer Chelsea on from the sidelines at the Club World Cup now that Palmeiras are out. Afterwards, the creative playmaker will join up with Enzo Maresca’s group for the 2025/26 campaign.

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