The "Dragon Slayer" boy who defeated Liverpool, his parents gave up all support for him when he was eight years old

On April 24, 2025, he spent his 18th birthday in Estewan, Palmeiras. At that time, he already knew that London and Stamford Bridge were waving to him, and knew that he was about to leave his hometown and relatives in the summer and go to Europe to start a life of solo.

On this day, he wrote a letter to his parents for everything they have given for his football dream. At that time, his letter was full of gratitude, longing and uneasiness. He could not imagine that in just half a year, he became the hero of Stamford Bridge and the "Dragon Slayer" boy who helped Chelsea win the Premier League leader and defending champion Liverpool.

1

Mom, Dad...

You know I don't talk much. Mom, my dad told me a few days ago that when I was a child, you were worried that he would forget me in the car because I was too quiet.

But today, on my 18th birthday, I want to express my respect to you. I want to say something from the bottom of my heart to express your meaning to me. Although today is a celebration for me, I really want to be the one who gives you gifts because you gave me so much.

As a shy child, sometimes the easiest way is to write down your feelings with a pen.

I will leave Brazil soon and realize my dream of playing football in Europe. I have thought a lot about how we got to where we are today. It is impossible for a little boy to become a man just because he grows up, right? Growing up requires hardships.

When I look back on the past, I still can't believe what you have given for me.

I mean...How many parents are willing to give up their entire lives when their children are eight years old to help their children pursue their dreams?

How many parents are willing to leave their homes, their jobs, their friends for their children?

The older I grow, the more crazy I feel. I still remember how many times you prayed the year before we left Sao Paulo and went to Belo Horizonte. You were hesitating whether to agree to the request of the person who wanted to take me to Cruzero. Dad, you actually told him what others would say to you countless times.

"This kid is only eight years old. Are you crazy?"

That guy really took taking me to Cruzero as his target. Did he really not sleep after watching me play football? I remember when he recorded a video to Cruzero youth training camp and promised to help us do everything, you started to think about it seriously.

You keep praying for the next 12 months.

Should we stay? Should we leave?

Dad, I was already grown up at that time and knew that you were a pastor at our local church in Franka and that your dream was to develop the community there.

When you finally decided to take me to Cruzero, many people thought it wouldn't work.

I understand why, because in this country, there are thousands of children who like to play football, and the chances of becoming a football player are less than one in ten thousand. But I remember what you often say to others...

"I know what I have in my hands."

You will always be my biggest fan.

The old pickup truck is still deeply imprinted in my mind. The day we left Franka, we threw all our clothes into the car, said goodbye to our mother, and drove the car to Belo Horizonte all day. I still don't understand why we didn't eat all the way, but I remember the pizza restaurant we found when we arrived, just around the corner next to the house we were renting. I remember there are only two options on the menu:

Small Pizza, Large Pizza.

Oh my god... My stomach started to roar when I thought about how hungry we were.

But when you have so little money, what can you do? We bought the small one, only four pieces.

is small, chewy, and has no taste.

This is by far the worst pizza I've ever had.

When I started playing at Cruzero Academic College, I remember one of the coaches there was shocked to see me.

He said: "Child, I know someone in the club has signed you, and we know that the club should develop young players, but it's crazy. You're only eight years old. What are you doing here?"

He spoke to me as if I was lost on the training ground.

"Where is your father?"

To be honest, I didn't fully realize what Cruzero meant at that time. Do you know what I mean? To me, it's just another place to meet new people and play football. What I'm even more curious about is the police car in the new school.

On the first day, I saw a lot of police officers and flashing blue lights.

I asked a child, "What happened?"

He said, "Oh, this is normal. The police come almost every day."

A few hours later, I saw a fight in the classroom, two children punched and kicked each other and turned the table over. I had never seen such a scene before. I was very quiet when I was in Franka, but now I am with these older guys who always get into trouble. Do you remember how scared I was at that time? I feel safe only when we are together, or when I have a ball at my feet.

Mom, I feel much better if you quit your job in the shoe factory to live with us. However, the hard days of those first few weeks turned into months... or even years. And then one day, you told me that there was something wrong with the landlord and we might be kicked out.

For a while, we didn't even know if there was still a place to live the next day. I was too young to understand, but now I understand, it must be very difficult for you.

Then we get the news that Dad's church collapsed.

Dad, I still feel sorry.

You care too much about me.

You do feel the heavy pressure to make this decision.

Even if you were so old at that time, I could still see all this in your eyes. I can hear it all in your voice. But what about the burden on your shoulders? I can only imagine it today.

We almost went back to Franka many times.

We almost gave up.

This was an easy thing, right?

But every night, I see you pray.

I don't understand how you have such strong confidence. I was just a kid at the time and there was no sign that this would succeed.

I didn't realize it until many years later when my dad told me about the girl in the church.

Dad, do you still remember?

When we lived in Franka, you would take me to church as long as you didn’t want me to stay home alone. You'll go to a small room in the church alone to pray, and I'll go out with the ball. I was only three years old at the time, but I could take the ball around the wooden bench, play a "bumping wall-like two-by-one" with the wall, and then drive the ball to the altar. I broke the clock hanging on the wall, and I broke a lot of things.

One day, you came out of the prayer room and let me sit on the bench next to you, and then told me about the girl.

Let me try to retell it correctly... Before I was born, when you went to church, a girl knocked on the door, right? She said, "God will give you a son, and he will bring a lot of happiness to your life. He will open a lot of doors for you."

You were surprised because you didn't even have a girlfriend at that time. You tell her, "Listen, my dream is to build a church and help others. I don't even want to get married."

But then the girl read the story of David's son Solomon in the Bible, and he later built the temple. She said, "Your Son will help you build the church. He will crown you."

Later you married your mother, she was pregnant, and you realized that God was fulfilling His promise. So you call me Estewan, which means "crown".

When I first heard this story, I immediately understood everything. If I become a football player, I can help more people. You can also start your own church.

When we head to Cruzero, you are not just helping me chase my dreams.

You are listening to the voice of God.

2

I will never forget that you once told me that I am a gift from God to you.

Even now I am 18 years old, I still have trouble understanding. But I know that my desire for football is not normal. Even though the police came to our school, even if we didn’t know if there was still a place to live, I never thought about going back to Franka.

This desire for games, goals, victory and progress grows little by little...it has become a natural part of my body, just like my heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys.

Dad, you always say that I don't have the skills of Neymar like - (who has it??) - but my real talent lies in my desire. Maybe this is God’s gift?

Every time we go out to train, you will say to me, "As long as you say stop, we will stop."

Just say one word.

I had many opportunities to stop.

For example, once we were playing in the field near our home, I stepped on a pile of horse manure. Oh my God, that smell... so ridiculous.

Or when I was chased by your roaring Rottweiler, it was twice as big as mine and always wanted to grab my ball. What a huge behemoth. So strong, so swift, just like Van Dyke! It was the first defender I encountered.

Or, when I was about to go to the competition with my clothes, a heavy drawer fell down and completely smashed my fingers. Blood flowed all over the floor. You want to take me to the hospital, and I have to ask you to let me sit on the bench. Just before you go out to do business, you ordered the coach not to let me play... and when you come back, I had bandaged my fingers with tape and scored three goals.

Otherwise what? I have to help my teammates.

But the closest I got to stop was when I was playing football on the mud field at the Jardin Airport where we lived. The local team is called "Drug Smuggling Team", and I think the team name should have already told the story of this place. But I always like the feeling of bringing all the kids together to play football.

Two to two, three to three.

You are both a goalkeeper and a referee.

The foul in that game almost had to be sent to the hospital, right? I hope you understand how uncomfortable I was at that time, because the other kids were older and stronger than me, but I was a little guy running around to ride the ball, and whenever I was elbowed or knocked down…

"Kick..."

You never blew a foul. Of course, when I asked you if you were blind, it didn't mean literally. But the injustice I felt when I was a kid and just thinking about scoring the goal was incredible. My knees were covered in blood and scars. One day, I burst into tears because I felt that the whole world was against me. After the match, we will drink soda with the other boys in the sun.

"Hey, Estewan, do you know when I kicked your knee? Sorry..."

I could have called to stop. But the next day, we will come back to the court.

Mom, I understand why you ask dad about the things on the court when you go home. I think you are worried that those things will destroy my will. And dad always says to you, "Believe me, I'm shaping his character, and one day he will be ready."

Soon other children will not be able to foul on me.

When I was five years old, I could already have fun with the Rottweiler.

When I was seven years old, the school asked me to play for a team one year older than me.

Dad, the only mistake you made was when I was very young. Since you used to be a goalkeeper in the local league, I wanted to be a goalkeeper, and you actually gave me your gloves. I thought to myself, how should I use this glove?

I found a ball and started practicing touching the ball with your hands, and you immediately got your gloves back.

Thank God. Can you imagine it? I……? Go to be a goalkeeper?

I mean, do you remember how much time I spent studying Neymar? Going to school, training, watching him play on YouTube...this is my life.

"Nemar's football skills..."

"Nemar Santos' wonderful highlights..."

"Nemar's picky balls..."

In Brazil, no child has never searched for these words.

These actions are too difficult to imitate. I've never seen anyone do the ball-striking moves like Neymar. I still don't understand how he did it.

But Dad, you always encourage me to try it.

If it fails? Try again.

Smile.

I like this because I want to play freely. I always pursue freedom, even if everyone tells me to take steady steps. This is the spirit of Brazilian football, and you have always told me this.

Never throw away your roots.

When we lose our souls, we lose our direction.

I still believe that it is these moments that have helped us survive in Belo Horizonte, and the key is that we never stop working hard. After the academy training, we would take the ball and walk to the grass near the rented house where cattle and horses were in herds and we would practice any skills I had made mistakes in the training.

What if my right foot misses the opportunity?

Practice shooting.

What if I messed up the pass?

Back to the basics-right foot, left foot.

We practice until the sun sets and can't see the ball again, and then walk home exhausted, with dirt on our shirts...

As you once told me, many people are willing to walk our path but not our shoes.

Do you know? Although as I grew older, I gradually realized that those moments seemed to be my happiest time.

For others, it's like work. But for us, it's just for fun.

It's strange... When we were competing in Goiania, I didn't even realize that I was participating in the most important game in my life. But at that moment, all our efforts came together.

Shot, pass, and cycling.

Right foot, left foot.

I have never played so well.

Almost overnight, everyone noticed me. I leapt from "ordinary kid" to one of the most talented players of my Brazilian peers. Cruzero even set up a new youth group for me in Toka da Laposa to ensure I develop in the best way. In just a few days, all your trust in me was rewarded as you deserve.

Then Nike wants to sponsor me.

I was about 10 years old at that time, right? I rarely went online at that time, and I knew Nike was purely because they sponsored Neymar. I was actually trying to understand how Nike works in the whole way.

I was wondering, "So...will they give me a pair of sneakers like Neymar?"

You said, "correct."

"Free?"

"Yes."

"And they will pay me to wear their shoes?"

"Well, yes, sponsorship works that way."

I guess you want to be calm, but we all know what the deal means.

We succeeded.

We have money to pay the rent.

We can afford real pizza.

God heard our prayers.

3

I can't lie... When I left Cruzero, my sadness was mixed with a hint of joy.

That was the joy of opening a new chapter in Palmeiras, and it was also the sadness of saying goodbye to so many people and memories. I was actually very anxious because I didn’t know if I could recreate my former glory in the new club.

You know, I was injured when I got there. It was so scary because watching someone else trained and I couldn’t participate, which made me nervous.

The only way out is to rely on the discipline you gave me.

I told others that my dad taught me to play football and my mom taught me homework. Both require hard work and dedication. Mom, I'm grateful that you always see the humanity behind the players. When I was a kid, I thought I would play football for the rest of my life, but now I understand why you always want me to learn. I remember in the Libertadoes Cup match that I scored a great goal and when I got home late at night… I was kind of looking forward to you giving me a big hug to be honest.

"Son, your game is awesome!"

This is the reaction that every child secretly hopes for.

But the first thing you said to me was, "Estewan... have you done your homework?"

I just received the blessings from millions of Palmeiras fans, but you didn't care. I should have done some testing for my course, but I don't have time.

You don't even let me go to bed.

I said, "Mom...I'm exhausted."

Oh. You were really angry with me that time.

I said, "Okay mom! OK! I will do it. Tomorrow..."

You did not relax even when I was asleep. Do you remember the tournament I participated in in Indonesia? I missed an online class exam, and the school must have sent you a message because you called me in the middle of the night.

I thought, "Okay OK, I'll take the exam. ”

At that time, I didn’t understand what you did at all.

Today, I know that you did this out of love.

This mentality has helped me a lot in the Palmeiras youth training camp because I always do what I have to do, even if I don’t want to do it. I remember one day on campus, a person from the club called to congratulate me on being recruited by the Brazilian national team.

I immediately asked him: "Which team was recruited? ”

He said: “Well…U17. ”

I thought he was joking, but then I checked the Brazilian U17 roster and found my name was there. I ran out of school like a kid in the cartoon and called you both to tell you the news. I hardly saw you crying so hard.

That night, we made a special prayer to thank God for everything that God gave us.

But even though things went well, You also make sure I don't relax.

For example, when I just returned to Brazil two years ago, I got a call from Joao Paul, the dean of the Palmeiras Youth Training Academy. He told me that the old players wanted me to finish the championship with them, and then he asked me if I wanted to join them two days later or the next day. I said I'll go two days later.

Dad, when I called you to tell you the news, you didn't even celebrate. You asked, "Why did you go two days later? ”

I said, “Well, yes, I just got off the plane and felt a little tired. ”

You say, “Listen, call him back and tell him you will go tomorrow. ”

Of course I know. What else can I say?

After I got to the senior team, I was actually a little scared. They were too strong, too fierce...I'm not that strong! Thankfully, this group of people has been great since day one, without vanity and arrogance. On the court, they may be mean, but off the court, they are the friendliest group of professional players you can meet.

It's so lucky to meet Abel Ferreira. Dad, we talked about this... It was him who really pushed me out of his comfort zone. He asked me to play the winger, he taught How I press and defend.

Thanks to him, I became more complete.

We all hope that one day the Brazilian national team will call me...but no one can prepare for that moment. I have never sat there so quietly in my life, and I sat on the white sofa with you, folded my hands, and waited quietly... Then my name was shouted on the TV. Dad, you hugged me, we hugged on the sofa for about five minutes, we cried, we prayed. I imagined this when we walked home from the stadium together. Then. Suddenly one day, I was standing in the locker room, and the yellow jersey was right in front of me, so clean and so bright.

That was amazing. I remember going to lunch and saw Vinicius, Rodrigo, all the players I watched on TV. I also met my good friend Enderick, in Palmeiras, and it was so happy to play with these guys.

But there was one person I wish I could play for Brazil with, and that was Neymar…if God blessed.

}

The first time he sent me a message, I almost cried.

Everyone knows I am his fan.

Do you remember how sad I was when I lost a penalty against Corinthian? Dad, you usually analyze my game in detail, but you had nothing to say that time. You looked at me and you could tell that I was completely broken.

"Come here..."

We gave each other a big hug.

Then I disappeared into my own little world, only me and my phone. I don't even want to watch the news. I open it Instagram, I want to find something to make me happy.

A funny meme, a silly short video.

Anything works.

Then I checked my chat software and I saw that message.

...

Nemar!

...

My football idol sent another message.

He actually didn't have to do this, but he knew how much pressure a 17-year-old man would have to bear in Brazil, and he knew when the player was How will fans and the media hit him during the trough.

He told me to stay confident and said I would lose more penalty kicks in my career. It was part of the game and it was important to me to deal with it.

Mum and Dad, I'm not even sure if you guys understand what this means to me.

When he said I'm going to be the next genius in Brazil, I really want to print it out and hang it on the wall.

So can I play with Neymar? I can only do my part.

I have said many times that my biggest dream is to bring the World Cup back to Brazil. I think this move to European football will help me grow further, especially as I am about to join one of the greatest clubs in the world.

A lot of people asked me why I chose Chelsea, they don't understand how much Chelsea wants me, nor how trust Chelsea trusts my potential. These people simply don't understand the plans they have given me. These things are very important for a young player, and I know the decision to go to London is the right one.

Until then, I just wanted to enjoy my last few months in Palmeiras.

You know how uncomfortable it is to leave Palmeiras fans for me. To be honest, I don't even know what to say to them. From the moment I stepped on the court, they gave me endless love and care. Knowing that I can bring them happiness…it's a priceless feeling.

This club always holds a special place in my heart.

Looking back, I'm also grateful that Cruzero played such an important role in my growth.. I'm even glad I've been rudely kicked by the big guys in Franka because they made me stronger. Everything has a cause, right?

But Mom and Dad... nothing can compare to everything you have given me. I hope you can realize now how important you are to me and how important you are in my life.

Mom, thank you for letting me understand that life is more than football.

Dad, I am extremely proud of the social work you did as a pastor in Franka. You helped me pursue my dreams, not only realizing your own dreams, but also helping many people.

But one of all the gifts you gave me is the most important one, and that is the birth of my sister Esther ten years ago. This is better than any birthday gift I have received, and it is a gift from God. Remember when I took her home from the hospital, sat in the back seat of the car, just staring at her?

Can you trust everything about us living together as a family?

Mom and Dad, on my 18th birthday, before we start a new chapter, I just want to say...you will always be my biggest idols.

No matter what I achieve, I will attribute it to you.

Thank you for your company along the way. Let's enjoy our last few months in Brazil together.

Dad, see you after the training tomorrow.

I will bring the ball over.