The 18-year-old Real Madrid forward has received some encouraging words from Brazil coach Diniz, but his future in the 2026 World Cup remains uncertain.
When Endrick joined Real Madrid eight months ago with high hopes and dreams, little did he know that regular playing time would be so hard to come by. In a star-studded squad, he often finds himself on the bench. Naturally, this has raised concerns in his mind — will he get the chance to play in next year’s World Cup?
His limited club minutes have also affected his place in the national team. Initially left out of Brazil’s squad for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina, Endrick was later called up to replace the injured Neymar.
Currently with the national team, Endrick spent the entire match on the bench as Brazil edged past Colombia 2-1. This only added to his worries, something he openly discussed on “Romario TV” in a chat with the legendary Romario.
“To be honest, one thought that has been on my mind for a long time is that I might not be in the next World Cup squad,” Endrick admitted.
“You (Romario) also went through tough times once. My father told me that you hoped to be in the 1998 World Cup squad but didn’t make it. I have the same fear because it’s my dream. It’s hard for me to say this because I want to be in the World Cup squad and help Brazil win the sixth title.”
Endrick acknowledges how difficult it is to earn regular minutes at such a huge club like Real Madrid.
“Of course, it’s hard. At the biggest club in the world, surrounded by top players, you don’t always get to play. But whenever I get the chance, I want to prove that I deserve to be in the national team. I hope I’m there next year, and with God’s help, we can win the World Cup.”
Since his Brazil debut in November 2023, Endrick has scored three goals in 13 matches. For Real Madrid, he has netted six goals in 28 matches, though many of those appearances were brief — totaling just 494 minutes.
Brazil coach Fernando Diniz has been closely monitoring Endrick’s progress. He even had an extended conversation with Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti to assess the young forward’s development.
“We are watching Endrick’s progress closely. During my last trip to Europe, I had a two-and-a-half-hour conversation with Ancelotti. We discussed many things, but primarily about how Endrick is doing,” Diniz said during a press conference on Monday.
“Compared to what we knew a year ago, he has improved a lot. Palmeiras did an excellent job in his development, and he is much more mature now — which is natural. I believe this has happened because he is in Europe. If he were still here (in Brazil), he would have grown in a slightly different way.”
Diniz had encouraging words for the young forward but didn’t confirm if Endrick would play in the upcoming match against Argentina.
“Endrick is catching everyone’s attention in every training session. It’s only a matter of time before he gets his chance.”
Brazil hasn’t won on Argentine soil since 2009. With Lionel Messi absent and several other key Argentine players injured, this could be Brazil’s best opportunity to end that drought. Whether Endrick gets his chance to shine remains to be seen.
