da supremo： The 17-year-old failed to make an impact at his first major international tournament as the Selecao crashed out in the quarter-finals

da aposte e ganhe： "Time will show who this boy might become," Dorival Junior said after seeing Endrick score his first senior goal for Brazil in a friendly against England in March. "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."

Endrick found the net again in his next international outing against Spain, and two months later, he was named in Dorival's final 26-man squad for the Copa America. Very few players are thrust onto the biggest stage so young, but Endrick is no ordinary 17-year-old.

It has been reported that he recorded 165 goals across 167 games for Palmeiras as an academy player, during which time he was dubbed 'the next Pele'. And in December 2022, Real Madrid bought into the hype, striking a €60 million (£51m/$65m) deal for the teenager after seeing off competition from just about every other top club in Europe.

Later this month, Endrick will see his "dream come true" when he's finally unveiled as a Madrid player. But the excitement surrounding his arrival among the club's fanbase has dissipated somewhat, because his major tournament bow for Brazil didn't go according to plan.

It's now clear that Endrick will need a lot more time to become a "very important name" at the highest level. Madrid are not getting a player who is ready to deliver under the bright lights at Santiago Bernabeu right away, and patience will be needed as he embarks on the biggest challenge of his fledgling career so far.

GettyBrazil's benched No.9

Before Brazil kicked off their 2024 Copa campaign in the United States, Endrick was bestowed with the famous No.9 jersey, once worn by two-time World Cup winner Ronaldo Nazario. It was seen as a show of faith from Dorival, and many expected him to be a starter in the group stages, not least because he managed to find the net again in a 3-2 win over Mexico in Brazil's penultimate warm-up game.

But on the eve of their Copa opener against Costa Rica, the head coach revealed that the teenager would have to be content with a substitute role. "We need to be careful with Endrick. It's something that will happen naturally. It might not take long because he is extremely skillful," Dorival said when outlining his plan for the youngster. "I'm in a hurry to get him on the pitch, but you have to have a certain balance. He has excellent skills and is one of the most promising players."

Endrick got his chance with 20 minutes remaining against Costa Rica, but couldn't prevent Brazil from playing out a hugely disappointing, goalless stalemate. The Palmeiras wonderkid was given half that time in their next outing, a 4-1 win over Paraguay, and only made a very brief cameo in the Selecao's 1-1 draw with Colombia on matchday three.

Brazil qualified for the quarter-finals without really needing to use Endrick, though there was some clamour for him to have a bigger role due to the team's lack of cutting edge upfront. And as fate would have it, a spot opened up courtesy of a suspension for star forward Vinicius Jr, who picked up his second booking of the tournament against Colombia.

"Maybe it's Endrick's time to shine," Dorival said ahead of Brazil's quarter-final tie with Uruguay. Unfortunately, the talented, Madrid-bound teenager couldn't make the most it.

AdvertisementGettyBullied by Uruguay

Uruguay went into the game as slight favourites, having breezed through their group with maximum points. Marcelo Bielsa's side could also take confidence from a dominant 2-0 win over the Selecao in 2026 World Cup qualifying back in October. But Saturday's game was a far more tense affair.

Both teams struggled to carve out clear chances at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and frustrations boiled over at times, with 41 fouls awarded in total over the course of the match. One of the more nasty ones came from Nahitan Nandez in the 74th minute as he went in studs up on Rodrygo, which earned him a deserved red card after a VAR review, and Brazil spent the next 16 minutes camped in the Uruguay half.

The winning goal never came, though, and Endrick couldn't make any meaningful impact. According to , he only had 23 touches in the entire match, and Uruguay made a point of bullying him into submission.

Endrick lost possession a grand total of 14 times and managed just a solitary shot at goal, which explains his dismal expected goals (xG) total of 0.03. Unsurprisingly, he was not chosen to take one of Brazil's five spot-kicks in the penalty shootout, which they lost 4-2.

To say that Dorival's side didn't carry anywhere near the same threat with Endrick leading the line instead of Vinicius is an understatement. Endrick was completely anonymous, which was underlined by the shocking fact he only managed to complete one pass – from the kick-off at the very start of the game.

Getty'Too much responsibility'

Endrick was given a baptism of fire in the U.S, but none of the blame for Brazil's disastrous Copa campaign should be laid at his door. Unlike Spain and Barcelona's 16-year-old sensation Lamine Yamal, who has been lighting up Euro 2024, this was Endrick's first taste of football at the very highest level, and he wasn't playing in a world-class team.

Brazil are in the middle of a frustrating transitional period. Dorival is managing a disjointed squad short on confidence, with the midfield looking particularly weak, and the days of 'Joga Bonita' football are long gone. The Selecao were the most dazzlingly brilliant team in the world at the start of the century, but it's a real grind watching them these days.

The introduction of Endrick was never going to mask their problems, as 1970 World Cup winner Gerson has highlighted. "People keep comparing him to Pele. He's a boy. Let him play, grow. It's too much responsibility on him," the Brazil icon said after the Uruguay game. "He's just starting and won't be able to handle it. And it's not his fault. If he was playing with a functioning midfield, he would do much better."

The experience may go some way to preparing Endrick for the pressure the comes with playing for the biggest club in the world. But Real Madrid should consider the Copa as a warning; if they rush his development, they risk letting his incredible potential go to waste.

Getty'Have to introduce myself'

GOAL understands that Real Madrid expected Endrick to enjoy a more prominent role at the Copa America, particularly given their well-documented struggles for cutting edge upfront. It was a chance for him to him build up a greater rapport with Vinicus and Rodrygo, too, but Los Blancos didn't account for Dorival's cautious nature.

Competition for places will be even more intense at the Bernabeu. He'll be up against his two Brazil colleagues, both of whom actually began life at Real in the Castilla reserve side after their respective moves from South America, and fellow new signing Kylian Mbappe, who has been handed the club's iconic No.9 jersey – following in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Realistically, Endrick is not going to be a regular starter, but he will get plenty of chances because he can play anywhere across the frontline. GOAL can confirm that Madrid will look to the Brazilian in a tertiary role, which was also their plan for Arda Guler after the Turkish star's 2023 move from Fenerbahce.

Guler would have played far more often in his debut season had he not endured such terrible luck with injuries. He finished very strongly, though, with five goals in his final five La Liga appearances of the campaign, before heading off to the Euros and inspiring Turkey's unlikely run to the quarter-finals.

Endrick will have to follow Guler's lead by working hard and making the most of any time he gets on the pitch, which shouldn't be a problem for him. “No one is supposed to know me well. I am the one who is arriving, I have to introduce myself," he said in June. "With this squad, I can’t think about choosing anything. There’s only world-class players. I leave that (decision) to [Carlo] Ancelotti, he will find a solution."