Nicknamed ‘Messinho’ in Cruzeiro’s youth ranks, Estêvão faced idol Lionel Messi for the first time: ‘Sensational’
Brazilian football upcoming star Estêvão faced his idol Lionel Messi for the first time on Monday (23/6), in the 2-2 draw between Palmeiras 和 Inter Miami, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, in the third round of Group A of the Club World Cup.
Nicknamed Messinho in the youth divisions of Cruzeiro, the 18-year-old revealed that he received a ‘wink’ from the Argentine in the first half of the match and was ‘disconcerted’. Estêvão also spoke about the emotion of sharing the field and exchanging shirts with the player who inspired him in football. “He winked at me in the first half and my legs were shaking. It was incredible, sensational”.
“I’ve been watching Messi play since I was little. I play with him on video games. It’s an incredible pleasure to play a match with him. It was a pleasure,” said the striker, who joined Chelsea in August.
“He is my idol, a role model for me. It was amazing. I learned a lot. I swapped shirts with him. What we did today was definitely worth it”, added Estêvão, also highlighting Palmeiras’ reaction in their search for a draw in the match against Inter Miami.
