Endrick is a superstar in the making. He is one of the most talented players to come out of Brazil in a very long time - maybe since his Real Madrid teammates Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. He is not quite there yet, but there is hope that he will one day reach the standards that have been set by his teammates and predecessors.
However, the current version of Endrick is not doing so well. He has not been playing that many minutes, and is only able to capitalise on his chances in the Copa Del Rey. Sometimes, he is brought off the bench to close out games, but other times, it is not even that. He can only do so much due to the level of superstardom in his position at Real Madrid, and it is impacting him in more ways than one.
Real Madrid have Kylian Mbappe in his position, which absolutely does not help the Brazilian forward. Not playing much has made Endrick reveal the fear that goes on in his head: not playing in the FIFA World Cup 2026 for Spain.
Real Madrid's Endrick is scared of not being called up to Brazil's squad for 2026 World Cup
In a recent interview with Romario, Endrick said: "To be honest, what goes through my head a lot is that I'm afraid of not being at the 2026 World Cup. I’m worried because it’s my dream to be at the World Cup. It’s even difficult to speak about that. I want to help Brazil to win the sixth World Cup.”
Obviously, one of the biggest reasons of him struggling to make an impact and be a regular feature in Brazil squads is that he has not played much at club level. However, it is not that he has not been good enough. Brazil have struggled to have a striker ever since Roberto Firmino started declining. They have not had a brilliant striker lead their attack, but Endrick has the potential to be one. He has already been good for Brazil, and has scored at stadiums like Wembley as a substitute.
He is not the finished product, but in the limited minutes he has played at Real Madrid, he has looked good. Maybe he does not deserve to be called up when he is not playing a single minute - which was the case earlier this season - but when he is able to do things on the pitch in limited minutes, it would be good for a talented player like Endrick to be rewarded with game time for Brazil.
I also get the other side of it. It is a privilege to play for Brazil. Endrick needs to play more to be in rhythm and to create danger for the national team. However, there are not that many options ahead of him in that striker position, and even if there are, none of them has the potential that Endrick does. They are all great players in their own right - which is why they have been called up to the national team - but Endrick has that X factor that Brazil could do more with.
Carlo Ancelotti could also do more with him. I get it, Real Madrid have an incredibly high standard and they have three really good players in attack, but Endrick could help the club decide and win games, as he did earlier this season. To be absolutely fair, he has been getting more minutes as the season has gone on, but it is not nearly enough, and hopefully, things will start getting better for him. Not because of the interview, but because he deserves more than what he is getting.