Endrick: The Next Galático?
By: Anthony Tazbaz
Image Credit: Jannik Skorna
Player Name: Endrick
Age: 18
Height: 1.73m (5 ft, 7 in)
Foot: Left
Nationality: Brazil 🇧🇷
Position: Centre Forward
Club: Real Madrid 🇪🇸
Market Value: €60m
As we enter an era highlighted by big-name European clubs signing young South American prodigies, no club has seen this trend pay off more than Real Madrid. This is especially true with respect to the signing of 18-year-old Brazilian forward Endrick.
Early Years
Born on July 21 2006 in the greater region of the capital city of Brazília, Endrick began playing football at the tender age of four. During a childhood marked by severe poverty — a common experience for many Brazilian footballers — Endrick vowed to become a professional football player and help his family make ends meet. His father also played a significant role in this quest by posting the forward’s goals and other highlights on YouTube, with intentions of attracting Brazil’s top clubs.
Youth Academy and Tournaments
Endrick’s performances — coupled with his father’s highlight clips — seem to have paid off. At 11 years old, Endrick signed for the youth team São Paulo-based club and Brazilian heavyweights Palmeiras, having rejected an offer from rival to sign for the youth team of rival club São Paulo FC in the process. His youth career at Palmeiras — the only club for which he played throughout his youth — spanned from 2016 to 2022.
During this time, in January 2022, Endrick participated in the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior with Palmeiras’s U-20 team. Endrick led the team to their first such title and earned the Player of the Tournament award after scoring six goals in seven matches. His performances in this tournament ultimately caught the attention of several major European clubs, including the likes of Premier League clubs Arsenal FC and Liverpool FC.
As well, Endrick helped Palmeiras’s U-20 team win the CBF Brasileiro U-20 competition, during which the forward scored three goals in five matches, including the lone goal in the final against Corinthians’s U-20 squad.
Playing Pro
On January 1 2023, Endrick signed his first official professional contract with Palmeiras’s senior team; the Brazilian did, however, feature in seven matches for the senior team in 2022, having produced three goals and one assist. (The Brazilian Série A season begins in April and concludes in December.) Despite limited matches played, the young star won the league’s Best Newcomer and the Samba Gold Best Brazilian under-20 player of the year awards. That season, Palmeiras won the Série A title, an 11th in club history and their first since 2018.
The following season, Endrick built a reputation of being a clinical and reliable scorer and a team-player, having produced 14 goals and one assist in all competitions, with 11 goals scored in league play. His goal contributions played a crucial role in Palmeiras winning a consecutive Série A title, claiming their 12th such title in club history. As defending league winners, Palmeiras also claimed their first Supercopa do Brasil after defeating Rio de Janeiro-based club Flamengo by a 4-3 score, during which Endrick played 63 minutes. Regarding individual awards, Endrick earned a position on the International Federation of Football History & Statistics U-20 team of the year, one of the highest awards earned by a young player.
In 2024, despite having played only 22 matches in all competitions — including six matches in league play — the 2006-born player produced two goals and one assist in the Copa Libertadores, the South American version of the UEFA Champions League (UCL). Endrick also added the same tally in the Campeonato Paulista, a state-level competition that Palmeiras won in 2023 and 2024. In the 2024 edition, Endrick earned a position on the Team of the Year and won the Best Player award.
A Member of Los Blancos
On July 21 2024, Endrick made his long-awaited move to La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid; the Spanish club had signed the Brazilian wonderkid in January 2023 for a package fee worth €60 million. Endrick’s base fee — €47.5 million — constitutes the 13th-most expensive incoming transfer, beating that of fellow Brazilian forward Rodryo’s base transfer fee worth €45 million, and falling short of defender Ferland Mendy’s €48 million.
However, his departure — based on the player’s base fee — represents a record sale for Palmeiras, beating that of Estevão to Chelsea for €34 million. Upon arrival, Endrick signed a six-year contract, which would keep him at the club until June 2030.
Since arriving at Madrid — to date — Endrick appeared in four La Liga matches. On August 25, the 18-year-old talisman experienced a dream debut. After coming off the bench at the 86th minute against newly promoted Real Valladolid, Endrick scored his first La Liga goal in stoppage time — merely 10 minutes into his Madrid debut. The match ended in a 3-0 victory for Los Blancos, with Endrick having scored the third goal. Since then, however, Endrick raked in only six minutes — stoppage time excluded — having not made a significant impact during his limited playing time.
International Success
In March 2022, Endrick was called up to represent Brazil at the U-17 level in that year’s Montaigu Tournament in France. Competing in an eight-team tournament, Endrick appeared in four matches, having scored five goals, a tournament-best. His scoring contributed to Brazil’s first such title since 1984 and earned him that year’s Player of the Tournament award.
In January 2024, Endrick also represented his nation at the U-23 level, with the aim to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Despite experiencing a rare missed chance to qualify for the Olympics, the then-17-year-old scored two goals in seven matches.
At the senior level, on November 17 2023, Endrick made his debut off the bench during the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. His first cap ended in a 2-1 loss against rivals Colombia. Despite this loss, Endrick became the youngest player to earn a call-up and appear in a match for the Brazilian men’s senior national team since the legendary Ronaldo in 1994.
Since then, the Brazilian wonderkid appeared in 10 additional matches, having started in two of those matches and produced three goals, all of which occurred during friendlies against England, Spain and Mexico. His international experience includes appearances in the 2024 Copa América — totalling four matches — and a total of three matches in World Cup qualifying.
Appreciating Transfer Value
Source: Transfermarkt
From a young age, many football scouts and pundits held Endrick at a high level. Upon entering professional football, on August 19 2022, the then-16-year-old — who played with Palmeiras’s U-20 team at the time — was valued at €15 million, which is a significant value for a player that had yet to play for Palmeiras’s first team on a regular basis. Three months later, and still playing for Palmeiras’s U-20 squad, the young forward’s value increased to €20 million. Endrick maintained that transfer value when he began playing for Palmeiras’s first team in spring 2023.
As the calendar year progressed, Endrick’s outstanding performances led to a gradual increase in his transfer value. For instance, by July 2023, the Brazilian’s transfer value increased to €25 million, and then skyrocketed to €45 million by December, when 2023 Brazilian Série A season came to an end.
In March 2024 — during the first weeks of the 2024 season, Transfermarkt updated Endrick’s transfer value to an impressive €55 million, despite being only 17 years old. In June, Endrick’s value reached €60 million, his current transfer value.
As of writing, Endrick is the world’s 60th most valuable player, as well as the most valuable player born in 2006. With respect to La Liga, Endrick sits in 15th place, and is Real Madrid’s eighth most valuable player. Regarding Brazilians, Endrick ranks in sixth place.
With his move to Europe and already hitting the ground running in Madrid, Endrick’s transfer valuation should undoubtedly increase by approximately €5-€15 million throughout the season, which would render his valuation to a maximum of €75 million. His immense potential — coupled with inflation over the years — suggests that the Brazilian could boast a valuation of somewhere between €150-€180 million, which would put him on par with teammates Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé by the time Endrick reaches their current ages.
Ultimately, the only issue standing between Endrick and such a lucrative transfer value is his consistency and attitude to the game. Despite these elements being non-issues for the 18-year-old thus far, a lack of consistency and poor attitude constitute the main factors behind young stars suffering from stagnation during a period where these players should ascend towards the pinnacle of football.
Playing Style
Endrick is known for his incredible agility and speed, particularly when performing quick turns and dribbles. These traits enable him to become a focal point in an attacking midfield, as well as a cunning player when isolating himself in a one-on-one with an opponent.
His goalscoring, speed and dribbling culminate in a versatile playing style that enables the Brazilian to play as a strong number nine (striker) or a reliable winger, both on the left and right flanks. Coupled with his drive to score goals and his willingness to contribute to the collective team play, the 18-year-old can integrate himself into many modern formations.
His style of play in attack, which includes building attacking plays from his own half, makes him a perfect fit as a false nine forward. As such, Endrick can play as a perennial forward and become a goalscorer while also assume the role of a central attacking midfielder that complements a defensive-centred midfield and the pair of wingers.
Upon further analysis, Endrick’s playing style similarly embodies that of Antoine Griezmann and Paulo Dybala. However, his playing style is more of a mixture of both, rather than a reminiscent resemblance of either player.
The Brazilian’s role on the pitch resembles that of Griezmann when the Frenchman plays as the centre forward, rather than a firm attacking midfielder. Both players boast a willingness to integrate themselves into the midfield during transition — from defence to offence — or when setting up an attack around the final third, the zone before the opponent’s goal.
Regarding Dybala, Endrick possesses similar finishing and positioning skills when embracing a killer instinct in front of goal. However, Endrick is a far more versatile player than his Argentinian counterpart. With Dybala nearing the end of his prime, Endrick’s ascending career should undoubtedly surpass that of Dybala’s, from both an individual and collective perspective.
Moreover, Endrick has been compared to the likes of legendary Brazilian forwards Ronaldo and Romário. However, Endrick’s modern playing style offers a new look for a Brazilian attack in desperate need of improvement. That said far as Brazilian talent goes, being compared to Ronaldo and Romário is one of the highest compliments an attacking player — especially a Brazilian — can receive.
One for the Future
Like all young players with a sky-high ceiling, Endrick’s skills and talent are raw and are in need of refinement. The Coaches’ Voice noted that he sometimes holds onto the ball too long and, as many central attacking midfielders, does too much on his own. However, since the article’s publishing — when Endrick was 16 years old — Endrick improved on these faults, which is a positive step towards to become a regular squad player at a club like Madrid or La Seleçao (Brazil’s national team). According to Coaches’ Voice, Endrick can also improve on his tactical knowledge of the game, especially within European leagues, to enhance self-integration into one of the world’s best squads.
That said, a will to learn and grow one’s game shall enable Endrick to develop into a world-class player. Real Madrid is arguably the best possible fit for such a player. Playing regularly at Santiago Bernabéu — Madrid’s home ground — will undoubtedly result in large-scale success and hoisting multiple trophies, including La Liga and UCL titles. This is already true after having earned a medal at the 2024 UEFA Super Cup — following a 2-0 victory against Serie A club and 2023-24 UEFA Europa League winners Atalanta — despite having not played a single minute. The sky is truly the limit for the Brazilian forward in the Spanish capital!
At the international level, Endrick can become the solution to Brazil’s stagnating attack, an element that was a trademark of Brazil’s legendary success until the mid-2000s. Their attacking flare was the culmination of Brazil’s joga bonito style of play and free-spirited culture on the pitch.
With the game rapidly changing and Brazil’s senior national team on the slow decline, such young stars as Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo and — of course — Endrick may form a new attacking trio for both club and country. With goalscoring also not being everything, Endrick’s style would fit perfectly into a remastered Brazilian squad and attack. More importantly, success at the club level can set the stepping-stones for success on the international stage.
Despite a rocky period, future is bright in Brazil, and Endrick will (most likely) make it shine only brighter.
Comment below which player we should cover next in our Ones to Watch section.
