Not Cole Palmer, Chelsea already has a future Ballon d'Or winner

Chelsea owns a "future Ballon d'Or winner," and it's not Garnacho or Palmer.

The Ballon d'Or ceremony took place earlier this week, bringing mixed emotions for Chelsea's men's team.

On one hand, The Blues had only one player in the top 30 nominees, but on the other, Cole Palmer impressively finished 8th. Notably, Chelsea has never had a player win the Ballon d'Or while at the club, despite close calls like Frank Lampard and Jorginho.

However, in Chelsea's current squad, there is a name who could become the club's first ever Ballon d'Or winner at Stamford Bridge. And that is neither the talented Palmer nor Alejandro Garnacho, who likely believes he will one day earn this honor.

Chelsea at the Ballon d'Or since 2021

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 awards were canceled. In 2021, the first ceremony of the new decade took place, where Chelsea truly made an impression.

As champions of the Champions League, The Blues had five players among the 30 nominees, with Jorginho finishing an impressive 3rd. However, the 2021/22 season was difficult, leaving only Antonio Rüdiger representing the club in the following year's list.

The situation worsened in 2023 when no Chelsea men's team player was nominated, not even for the Kopa Trophy for young talents.

Fortunately, things improved somewhat, with Palmer ranking 27th last year and climbing to 8th this year. Yet, in both instances, he was the sole representative from the Blues.

Chelsea's "future Ballon d'Or holder"

Frankly, many believe Garnacho is unlikely to reach Ballon d'Or level, whereas Palmer might. After all, the English midfielder has twice made the shortlist and is regaining top form. But here, the name being highlighted is entirely different: Estevão.

Estevão's achievements at Palmeiras

Chelsea outcompeted several top clubs to sign this young talent in summer 2024. Being underage, he must wait another year before officially joining coach Enzo Maresca's squad.

During his time at Palmeiras, the 18-year-old prodigy scored 27 goals and provided 15 assists in 83 matches, totaling 5,610 minutes played. On average, Estevão contributed to a goal every 133.57 minutes, an impressive figure for a seasoned attacking star, let alone a teenager.

Such outstanding performance reinforces expert Ben Mattinson's view, who once called the Franca-born gem a "future Ballon d'Or winner."

Not only shining in his homeland, Estevão quickly made his mark at Chelsea. Every time he comes off the bench, he poses a constant threat. In his Premier League debut start against West Ham, the young player immediately stood out by delivering a superb assist to Joao Pedro.

Moreover, Estevão has already earned 7 caps for Brazil's national team and scored his first goal for the Selecao early on.

Clearly, Chelsea has many promising talents, but Estevão could be the first to bring the Ballon d'Or trophy to Stamford Bridge.

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