The young Brazilian cut short his summer holidays to join Ancelotti’s team and try to make a name for himself right away with the Merengue.
Endrick made just one pass in the Copa America quarter-final against Uruguay. Well muzzled by the opposition and neutralized every time he got near the ball, the Real Madrid forward never had the chance to influence the course of the game. Subsequently, the Selecao were eliminated from a competition they were still expected to win. And Endrick was partly to blame for that.
And so began the most important summer of the youngster’s career. Endrick has been in the spotlight since he formalized a €60 million contract to sign for Madrid in December 2022. He may have spent nearly 18 months in Brazil before being presented to Spain, but he has never been able to hide. In his first major international encounter, he missed out.
Now he has another chance. Madrid begin their pre-season tour of the United States this week, with friendlies against AC Milan, Barcelona and Chelsea. The stakes are lower for Endrick than the last time he played in America, four weeks ago, but his performance will be watched no less.
Endrick will be keen to put on a good show, especially with the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham not taking part in the tour. But for a young prodigy who needs to grow up in the jersey of one of the biggest clubs in the world, it is also the ideal stage to learn on the job and prove that he belongs in the European champions’ team.
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