Endrick’s opportunities for the Brazil national team have been few and far between, but he should be on the plane to North America.
The 19-year-old was one of just five outfield players who were unused subs in the loss to France last week. But he grew used to this kind of treatment before joining Lyon on loan in the winter transfer window.
Endrick played just three games for Real Madrid between August and December. He did start the season with an injury, but even after recovering from it, didn’t get many opportunities under Xabi Alonso.
Now, the wonderkid has been shining in French football and earned his first call-up to the national team in exactly one year. But that may not mean much for his hopes of representing his country in the upcoming World Cup.
Will Endrick be in the Brazil World Cup squad?
Endrick’s history with Ancelotti
Xabi Alonso wasn’t the first manager to judge Endrick as raw and not truly ready to play for Real Madrid. He first arrived in the Spanish capital in July 2024, when current Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti began his final season in charge of the club.
He actually scored on his debut, replacing Kylian Mbappe in the 86th minute and putting the final nail in Real Valladolid’s coffin ten minutes later in a 3-0 win.
Still, the Italian boss didn’t give him much credit for it. Endrick came on from the 80th minute onwards in each of his five subsequent appearances for Los Blancos.
Of course, Mbappe’s arrival would always mean less game time for the Brazilian. But Ancelotti saw him as no more than a back-up whose starts came mostly in Copa del Rey fixtures against lesser opponents.
Now, Ancelotti and Endrick meet again in the Brazil national team. While the recent call-up may make it seem like the manager sees the versatile forward with different eyes, a quote from a press conference may indicate the opposite.
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“Endrick will be the future of the national team. We have a lot of interesting youngsters for the future, like Endrick, Rayan, Igor Thiago, Wesley. The future of the Selecao looks good”, Ancelotti said.
So it still looks like Ancelotti sees Endrick more as the future rather than the present. When he tried to change the game against France, he went with the likes of Luiz Henrique, Joao Pedro and Igor Thiago. Endrick’s call-up might have just been a reward for his club form.
Tactical versatility
But still, Endrick has plenty to offer the national team. His preferred position as a right forward matches Ancelotti’s vision of a 4-2-2-2 (of sorts). It could be as the right striker or playing more as a winger.
Additionally, having him on the right could push Raphinha to the left, where he usually plays for Barcelona. He still hasn’t managed to replicate the amazing club form in the national team. But going to the left could be a way to get the best out of him.
It would also mean that Gabriel Martinelli would go back to being a substitute, which is a role better suited for him. So much so that it’s the same at Arsenal, with Leandro Trossard the usual starter. With Rodrygo out long-term, it could be the best solution.
Estevao would be another shout on the right wing, with Endrick alongside Vinicius Junior and Matheus Cunha also going to the bench.
Endrick has rediscovered himself as a right winger mostly in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 in France. He has also shown playmaking abilities for the first time, standing out among Lyon players despite having just arrived.
Finishing-wise, it has been up and down for him. As we mentioned before, Endrick is a high-volume attacker rather than an efficient one.
Since joining Lyon, the Brazilian has taken 51 shots in just 14 games – an average of 3.6 per match at a rate of 4.2 per 90 minutes.
He is just overperforming his expected goals tally (6 goals from 5.8 xG, as per Opta) and winning 44% of his duels. It may not seem impressive, but the overall amount of actions he performs is a helpful asset for the French side.
Form and intensity
This is all part of why he should not only be on the plane to North America, but also play more for Brazil as of right now.
Endrick didn’t have the ‘in-form’ argument in his favour before, since he barely played at Real Madrid. But the quality had always been there. And though it may seem like his three goals in 14 games with the Selecao is a poor return, he did it on just 384 minutes and only two starts.
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It’s an average of 0.70 goals per 90 minutes – small sample, of course. But it’s what he received and, given the situation, he made it count.
For Lyon, it’s six goals and five assists in 14 games, making for 11 goal involvements (0.8 per game or 0.9 per 90). And a much more ‘obvious’ tactical fit than Brentford’s Igor Thiago – and even Chelsea’s Joao Pedro – for what Ancelotti is trying to create.
Another factor is the character and grit. Endrick plays at full speed all the time and will show heart and passion for whichever shirt it is he is playing for. And he was the only one who could say that the last time he featured for Brazil: a 1-4 embarrassing loss to Argentina last year.
He can actually be wreckless and look like a ‘dirty’ player because of it. But if he ever makes mistakes, it’s always going to be due to excess, and not lack of something.
Both Dorival Junior and Carlo Ancelotti wasted a few international breaks not testing him properly and acclimating him into the squad over the past year or two.
Since Endrick didn’t play against France, there is a big chance he features tonight against Croatia. Let’s see if Ancelotti is ‘course correcting’ now or rewarding club form just for the sake of it while actually aiming for the next World Cup cycle rather than the current one.