Sports
FROM Pele to Ronaldo, Neymar to Viniscius Jr, Brazil has produced its fair share of teenage superstars over the years – and now we have the new kid on the block.
Step forward Endrick.
The teenager came off the bench on Saturday to score a late winner for Brazil against England and become the youngest male goal scorer for club or country at the stadium at just 17 years and 246 days. He is also the youngest player to score for Brazil since Ronaldo in 1994.
His instant impact has already earned him comparisons with another Brazilian legend.
“I think he has got a little bit of Romario about him,” former England midfielder Joe Cole told Channel 4. “The body shape, the way he tucks the ball away.
“And the joy on his face. The youngest player ever to score at Wembley for club or country. Outstanding.”
Former Brazil and Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva said: “It is a great start, it could not have been better for him. We were expecting to see him and he came on and did great.
“But also for Brazil, this is the kind of game where you have to show up and take your opportunity. It is massive, it means a lot to the the team and also to the manager.”
‘The kid is a prodigy’
Endrick – full name Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa – joined the Palmeiras youth team at the age of 11.
He first caught the attention of international scouts when he helped Brazil win the under-16 Montaigu Tournament in France in April 2022, finishing top scorer with five goals.
He made his senior debut for Palmeiras in October of that year, the same month his parents visited Chelsea’s training ground. But when the Premier League club could not agree a deal, Real Madrid stepped in.
Endrick will move to Spain when he turns 18 this July and form a fearsome-looking forward line alongside Brazil team-mates Vinicius Jr and Rodyryo, England’s Jude Bellingham and France’s Kylian Mbappe.
The teenager became the youngest player to play for the senior team since Ronaldo when he started World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina in November.
His appearance at Wembley was just his third international cap, with his goal arriving just nine minutes after coming on.
“In the stadium where Pele never managed to play… Endrick with his first international goal and a winning goal against England,” South American football expert Tim Vickery told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“He comes off the pitch and talks to the Brazilian media about Bobby Charlton.
“The kid is a prodigy”
Brazil boss, Dorival Junior, added: “If he keeps up the attitude he has shown up to now, he will be a very important name in Brazilian football and world football.”
BBC
24th March, 2024.
C.E.
Tags: Endrick Joe Cole Ronaldo
