Eighteen-year-old Chelsea winger Estevao netted two goals as Brazil defeated fellow World Cup qualifiers South Korea 5-0 in a friendly match on Friday.
The home side’s captain, Son Heung-min, achieved a milestone with his 137th appearance for South Korea, setting a record for the men’s national team, amidst rainy weather in Seoul.
However, the match was dominated by Carlo Ancelotti’s squad, who held a 2-0 lead at halftime thanks to goals from Estevao and Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, before extending their advantage in the second half.
Estevao scored from close range at the 13-minute mark, following a pinpoint through ball from Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes. This was his second goal in eight appearances for Brazil, highlighting his potential as a standout player for the upcoming World Cup in North America.
Every time Brazil moved forward, they looked threatening, and they increased their advantage four minutes before halftime when Rodrygo struck after outmanoeuvring the South Korean defence with agile footwork.
The visitors fielded a strong lineup, featuring Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha at the forefront, supported by the formidable trio of Estevao, Rodrygo, and his Real Madrid colleague Vinicius Junior just behind.
Estevao and Rodrygo both found the net within three minutes of each other after the break to take the encounter within the reach of their hosts. Vinicius added the fifth goal with 13 minutes remaining, which was the highlight of the evening.
Cunha sent a long ball forward, and Vinicius sprinted nearly half the length of the pitch before executing some graceful footwork that set him up for a simple close-range finish.
Brazil is set to play Japan away on Tuesday, while South Korea will host Paraguay.