Endrick arrives at Wembley as the talk of the town with the £52.5m Real Madrid-bound 17-year-old widely tipped to follow in Neymar's footsteps by becoming Brazil's latest superstar
- Brazil hope Endrick can go on to have the global impact that Neymar has had
- He has already won two league titles and will join Real Madrid in the summer
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All eyes will be on Endrick at Wembley Stadium. English eyes, keen to catch their first glimpse of a teenage sensation poised to join Real Madrid from Palmeiras in a £52.5million deal struck back in December 2022.
Brazilian eyes are wondering if this will be the year when a young forward tipped to be its next top talent goes global and if he can have an impact on world football like Neymar when he left Santos for Barcelona.
Wonderkids come and go in this part of the world. Some break into bright stars but not all. Others fade in time.
Endrick will move to Spain after he turns 18 in July. He is already a full Brazil international, called up for the first time in November, becoming the fourth youngest to pull on the famous shirt.
‘It has always been an ultimate dream to wear the Brazil jersey,’ Endrick told Mail Sport at the time.
![Endrick is tipped to be Brazil's next superstar and joins Real Madrid for £52.5m this summer](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/22/14/82778077-0-image-a-113_1711119049116.jpg)
Endrick is tipped to be Brazil's next superstar and joins Real Madrid for £52.5m this summer
![The 17-year-old has won two Brazilian league titles and faces England on Saturday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/22/14/82778103-0-image-a-114_1711119267233.jpg)
The 17-year-old has won two Brazilian league titles and faces England on Saturday
‘Things have happened very quickly in my life, and this is another dream come true. I can only thank my family, agents, and Palmeiras, who have always believed in me.’
After tearing through the Palmeiras youth ranks in a blaze of goals he stepped into the first team to make his debut at 16, to be involved in their two consecutive Brazilian league titles, grabbing the attention with some spectacular goals.
On the other hand, he could not ensure Brazil qualified for the Paris Olympics. The two-time gold medallists will not be involved in the competition for the first time ever.
It is his strength at such a young age that surprises everyone who sees him play for the first time.
He has a fierce left foot and the ability to create quick plays, always going forward. His style is not beautiful as Ronaldinho and Neymar's.
A more direct comparison might be with Adriano or Ronaldo, maybe more raw power and a little less magic.
If he can forge an effective partnership with Vinicius Junior, now widely considered the best Brazilian footballer, it might produce the strong and effective spearhead Brazil needs in order to improve.
Endrick already has the trappings of superstardom, with an entourage of more than a dozen from chefs to physiotherapists, tactical analysts and marketing professionals engineering this precious talent.
He has signed a lucrative four-year deal to be the face of New Balance boots.
At a time when Brazilian football craves a big idol who can connect with the fans, there is hope he will seize the responsibility, even though his career already has traces of being a little too choreographed.
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He and his girlfriend, Gabriely Miranda, have become a high-profile couple in Brazil
![Endrick is meant to inherit the superstar mantle from Neymar but is more similar to Ronaldo and Adriano in style](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/22/14/82778199-13228065-image-a-123_1711119483701.jpg)
Endrick is meant to inherit the superstar mantle from Neymar but is more similar to Ronaldo and Adriano in style
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/22/15/82780883-13228065-image-a-16_1711122454485.jpg)
He already has a four-year deal with New Balance and over eight million Instagram followers
Even though he has been fast-tracked into senior professional football, he seems to know the right thing to say. He is not about to satisfy the drama some seem to crave in today’s sport. He is not one to make a big drama or emotional declarations. He is clean and calculated, in keeping with a good image.
Only when he laces his boots and walks into the pitch do you have the feeling that things change. Between those four lines, and especially close to the goal, where he operates on instinct, it is possible to see his true self.
That is the real Endrick. Look out for it. With Richarlison rested from training ahead of the England game to manage his workload after injuries, there is a feeling the 17-year-old will start in one of these friendlies.
Either against England at Wembley or against Spain in Real’s Bernabeu Stadium on Tuesday, where Spanish eyes will be fixed on him, too, especially those of the Madridistas.
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