Every exciting young attacker is rated on a scale from one to Lionel Messi.

The two teenagers perhaps at the upper end of the scale are Lamine Yamal - already a global superstar - and now Chelsea's Estevao Willian.

Yamal, like Argentina legend Messi, emerged from Barcelona's famed La Masia academy.

Estevao was reluctantly crowned 'Messinho' - translated as 'little Messi' - through his performances in Brazil's top flight, and has started brilliantly since joining Chelsea after the summer Club World Cup. He moved after his 18th birthday, having agreed a pre-contract in May 2024 to join from Palmeiras for £29m, rising to £51m with add-ons.

As far as public records show, Tuesday's Champions League game between Chelsea and Barcelona at Stamford Bridge will be the first time Yamal faces Estevao in an official match. The 18-year-olds were born three months apart in 2007.

They are now considered the two most valuable teenagers in world football - according to CIES Football Observatory,, external Yamal is valued at a staggering £307.4m, with Estevao second but lagging far behind at £103.8m.

One of the few people capable of comparing the two forwards is Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella.

He has played with both, and marked Estevao at the Club World Cup during the winger's final appearance for Palmeiras. Now he will be tasked with shackling his international team-mate Yamal on Tuesday at Stamford Bridge.

Cucurella said: "I think both of them are very special players. They have a lot of talent, always want the ball, and take on defenders one-on-one. They are players who can decide games.

"The difference now is that Lamine has played in Europe for a few seasons. If Estevao keeps it up, I think he can reach Lamine's level. They enjoy the game, love the ball and express themselves."

It's clear the pair are comparable, but Yamal is ahead in most - though not all - attacking statistics.

Yamal is more established - having finished second behind Ousmane Dembele in the Ballon d'Or, starred when Spain won Euro 2024 aged 17 and twice won the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the world's best young player.

Having broken on to the scene at 16, Yamal is more experienced - especially at the highest level of European football.

Yamal has 31 goals and 42 assists in 118 matches for Barcelona, plus six goals in 23 games for Spain - becoming his country's youngest scorer.

By comparison, Estevao has four goals and one assist in 10 matches for Chelsea. He scored 27 goals and provided 15 assists in 83 games for Palmeiras, and has five goals in 11 caps for Brazil.

In terms of goals per game, Estevao's 36 goals in 104 matches is a better ratio than Yamal's.

Delving deeper for this season alone, Estevao has made more appearances (16 compared with 12), but Yamal has clocked up more minutes (978 to 657).

On a per-90 minutes basis, Yamal is level with Estevao for goals but has provided more assists, taken more shots, had more touches in the opposition box, completed more dribbles and created more chances.

However, Estevao has a better shot conversion rate (13.8% compared with 11.3%) and a higher expected goals figure (0.7 to 0.4), while matching Yamal's 0.3 expected assists score.

There is also a stylistic element: both players are left-footed and operate as inverted wingers on the right flank. Estevao is expected to evolve into a number 10 as his career develops - much like his Chelsea team-mate Cole Palmer - while Yamal is likely to remain on the wing.

Estevao has also been heavily compared to his compatriot Neymar, after surpassing the former Barcelona and PSG attacker's record at Santos to become the first under-18 player to record a combined 20 goals and assists in the Brazilian top flight.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said the Brazil international has a bright future ahead of him.

"Estevao is already playing at a high level," he said. "He is already starting for Brazil, for sure he is very young, for sure he can do many things better, but we are very happy with him.

"It's nice for people that love football to watch players like Estevao, like Lamine Yamal, like Pedri, this is the beauty of football, so we are happy that Estevao is with us, and for sure he is going to do well.

"For me personally the most important thing for Estevao is that he has to enjoy football, he has to be happy, he has not to think about being better than this player or the other player, he has just to be better than himself day by day, try to work hard, improve."

Estevao was billed as Chelsea's new wonderkid when a deal was agreed in May 2024.

Chelsea believed they had found their answer to Yamal, but there were concerns about committing so much money up front for a player who could not join them for more than a year.

The £29m initial fee, with add-ons taking the deal to £51m, already looks like value, but it was one reason Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich did not formally enter the race.

Paris St-Germain were the only club to rival Chelsea's bid, but Estevao was keen to move to Stamford Bridge because of the promise of substantial minutes in his first season - which coincides with his first chance to play in a World Cup next summer.

It is an example of Chelsea's ultra long-term approach paying dividends, and their willingness to trust young players.

That strategy is crucial for Chelsea, who are mortgaging their future on young talent tied to unprecedented long-term contracts, while matchday revenues lag behind rivals - because Stamford Bridge looks increasingly dated in 2025 and holds only 40,000 fans.

There were no major rivals competing for Cole Palmer's signature in 2023, while Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez arrived for huge fees, so Estevao is arguably Chelsea's most impressive transfer in the Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital era.

In terms of his adaptation, Estevao already speaks basic English, has his family around him in London and has begun driving to and from training.