This is unfortunately the case at every World Cup. There are always many players who get injured at the worst time, and who have to give up on the biggest event on the football planet. For this 2026 edition, the eleven absentees already include Rodrygo, Hugo Ekitiké, Xavi Simons, Serge Gnabry and Eder Militao.
Obviously, we will have to add the name of Estevao to this list. According to Brazilian media, the young Chelsea striker, still injured, does not appear in the list of 55 players pre-summoned with the Seleçao by Carlo Ancelotti.
Hit in the right thigh since a match against Manchester United on April 18, the Palmeiras player is still on the side. It was his club which reportedly indicated to the Brazilian selection that it would not be able to be operational for the 2026 World Cup.
Estevao, new tile for Brazil
It’s a hard blow for the player, who will miss the opportunity to play in his first World Cup, and especially for Brazil. At just 19 years old, Estevao is not only one of the most promising strikers of his generation. He is already an important element of the Seleçao (11 caps, 4 goals).
Already injured in March, Estevao started in the two friendly matches in November, building on his good start to the season with Chelsea. Scorer during these two matches against Senegal (2-0) and Tunisia (1-1), he was in the process of validating his place in the Brazilian eleven for the World Cup. Between his absence, and that of Rodrygo, that already does a lot for Ancelotti and the Auriverde.
