Brazilian teenage sensation Endrick has sparked speculations of a move away from Real Madrid, after revealing he wants to feature regularly to get a chance of playing in the World Cup.
Last summer, the 18-year-old sensation sealed a stunning €60 million transfer to the European champions from Palmeiras, but he has since taken the field for only 494 minutes across all competitions, despite generating massive buzz with his arrival.
Although the young forward sparked rumors of a loan move abroad during the January transfer window, he has showcased his potential through impressive late-game cameos, netting six goals across all competitions.
While he did not initially make coach Dorival Junior’s squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers, Endrick was called up as a replacement for the country’s all-time top scorer Neymar, who was ruled out with injury.
Speaking to Brazilian legend Romario ahead of the crucial fixture against Argentina on Tuesday, the teenager allayed his fears of featuring in the World’s biggest football competition due to his lack of game time at Real Madrid.
“To tell you the truth, what goes through my head a lot is that I’m afraid I won’t be in the World Cup”, he told RomarioTV.
You [Romario] have been through it, too, my dad even told me that you were hoping and didn’t get a call-up [in 1998]. So I have this fear. Because it’s a dream of mine. It’s hard to say because I want to be at the World Cup and help Brazil win its sixth title.
Of course it’s difficult, being at the biggest club in the world, with the biggest players, and you can’t always have the opportunity to play”, he continued.
Endrick has scored three times for his country and will hope to feature against the reigning World champions who will be without their captain Lionel Messi, as the Selecao look to build on their impressive 2-1 win over Colombia last Thursday.
“But whenever I play, I want to be able to show a bit of myself to be in the national team. I hope that next year I can be in the national team and if God wills it, we’ll win the World Cup”, the 18-year old said.
The five-time World champions sit third in South American qualifying and have won six times, with four losses from 13 games.
Dorival Junior’s side take on Argentina on Tuesday, looking to secure a win on La Albiceleste ground for the first time since 2009.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
