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All recommendations within this article are informed by expert editorial opinion. If you click on a link in this story we may earn affiliate revenue. Many of the Palmeiras headlines spawn from the magic of Estevao Willian ahead of his potentially glittering career. But the Club World Cup quarter-finalists against Chelsea, live on talk SPORT this Saturday, have another Brazilian starlet on the books. Vitor Roque commenced his academy journey with America Futebol Clube aged ten before switching to Cruzeiro Esporte Clube in 2019. He made his senior debut for Cruzeiro at 16-years-old as a substitute, although played just 18 minutes before returning to the bench. Whilst Roque was congratulated by manager Vanderlei Luxemburgo, the decision came after he 'couldn't keep up' against Botafogo. Club Athletico Paranaense came calling in 2022 and completed a club record signing worth R$24million [£3. 2million] for the teenager. Roque was promoted from Serie B to Serie A and scored 17 goals for Athletico in the top flight, 12 of which came in his second campaign. It didn't take long for European interest to emerge as Barcelona came in and reached an agreement to bring him to the Camp Nou. Barca reportedly paid €44m [£38m] for Roque, with Athletico earning R$282m to therefore make a profit of around R$258m [£35m]. Roque had a €500m [£429m] buyout clause and was given the no. 19 shirt, which footballing legend Lionel Messi formerly wore himself. Although Messi's first Barcelona appearances came with the no. 30, it was with 19 that he became their starting winger on the right. One match in particular saw him emulate the iconic Diego Maradona goal against England at the 1986 World Cup, a mazy run and finish. Messi later switched to no. 10 and made it his own, but no. 19 has still been significant as superstar Lamine Yamal recently donned it. Barca fans would have dreamt of Roque making a similar impact in the first team as their beloved hero when he was younger. However, it wasn't to be as the forward scored only two goals in 16 appearances, and made just two starts in La Liga. Roque spent the 2024/25 season on loan at league rivals Real Betis and made a shock admission that went against the fabled Messi. Speaking in November, he revealed that former Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo was his idol. Ronaldo and Messi have been long-term rivals, with the duo battling for European and Spain success for their respective clubs. Both are regarded as two of football's all-time greats, but the Barca faithful unsurprisingly remained devoted to their fabled maestro. Roque thought otherwise, though, with five-time Champions League winner Ronaldo sitting at the top of his personal standings. He opened up on his Barcelona woes whilst at Betis, for whom he scored seven goals on 33 appearances throughout his loan. "I was on vacation and I found out just a week before I was going to Barca in January, " he said. "Then I had few opportunities there, I had bad times. " Barcelona and Betis agreed to terminate Roque's loan in February before the former sold him to Palmeiras for an initial €25m [£21. 4m]. The transfer, which took place on his 20th birthday, made him the most expensive signing in the history of South American football. Roque has featured 23 times so far for Palmeiras, scoring three goals across his opening four months back in Brazil. He was also selected as part of their Club World Cup squad, who have become the tournament's surprise package this summer. Palmeiras finished top of Group A ahead of Messi and Inter Miami, Porto and Al Ahly to qualify for the knockout stages. A 1-0 win over Brazilian rivals Botafogo after extra-time confirmed a spot in the quarter-finals against Chelsea. The Blues reached the last eight by beating Benfica 4-1, also after extra-time, in a match that was disrupted by adverse weather. With four minutes to play, both teams were taken off the pitch due to nearby thunderstorms in Charlotte. Chelsea and Benfica resumed the match after a near two-hour delay but a late equaliser from the Portuguese side spelled extra-time. Benfica went down to ten men and their west London opposition made it count by scoring another three goals. The time between kick-off and full-time exceeded four hours, which left Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca fuming. They will hope for more favourable conditions in Philadelphia this weekend against Palmeiras as they fight for the semi-finals. One of Inter Milan, Fluminense, Manchester City and Al Hilal will meet them there in East Rutherford, where the July 13 final will be played. Chelsea will face Estevao before he completes his summer move to Stamford Bridge. He will hope the showcase the quality he's set to bring, but Roque will also want to prove a point and continue Palmeiras' dream run. Watch all of the FIFA Club World Cup free on DAZN. Sign up now so you don't miss any of the action. *Clicking on a DAZN link in this article may earn talk SPORT affiliate revenue © 2025 talk SPORT Limited

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