Endrick's Praise for Argentina Goes Beyond Messi
The young Brazilian forward sees the Albiceleste as one of the top favorites for the Copa América. He also spoke about Real Madrid.
Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa, the new jewel of Brazilian football, is eagerly waiting to turn 18 on July 21 to move to Spain. He believes Argentina is always a favorite in any competition, even without Lionel Messi, and his dream of playing for Real Madrid began with playing on the PlayStation.
"Argentina has always had several stars, and none of them won championships alone. Even without Messi, Argentina will always be one of the favorites in any competition. It will always be tough to beat them," said the 17-year-old striker, who was trained at Palmeiras, in an interview with Diario Olé.
Endrick caught international attention in December when Argentina won the World Cup in Qatar 2022. He then became the champion of the Sao Paulo Youth Football Cup, scoring seven goals in as many matches.
Speaking about Real Madrid, where he will join upon turning 18, Endrick said it was always a dream for him since it was his favorite team when he played on the PlayStation.
Endrick highlighted the support he has received from his compatriot Vinicius Júnior, the most prominent player in the last season under coach Carlo Ancelotti. "Vini welcomed me very well, talked a lot about the city, the club, and the squad... And he will surely help me even more, especially on the pitch," he stated.
Since his debut with Palmeiras two years ago, Endrick has accumulated 21 goals and 4 assists in 81 matches. During this time, he contributed to campaigns that resulted in two Brazilian Championship titles and a Brazilian Supercup.
Regarding the difficult moment Brazil's national team is facing in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, with 7 points in 6 matches, he expressed confidence that they will soon turn things around.
In his view, the Copa América, starting on June 20 in the United States, should mark the beginning of the Canarinha's recovery. "It's a transitional period that we will overcome, for sure. In our last two World Cup titles, there were also stumbles and doubts during the qualifiers, but we overcame them and emerged as champions. We have already shown recovery in friendlies in Europe. I am confident in this," he concluded.
