Endrick, the Brazilian teenager once heralded as the "next Pelé," has spent more time on the bench this season at Real Madrid than on the pitch.
It is no secret Real Madrid have struggled in the first five months of their Spanish and European title defenses. At one point in the early season, Los Blancos trailed Barcelona by nine points in the La Liga standings and were sitting just above the elimination zone in the Champions League. Injury woes, a lack of identity in the midfield and a long transition period for Kylian Mbappé all marred the first half of the 2024–25 season.
Sitting on the sidelines, watching it all unfold, was Endrick. The striker signed with Los Blancos back in 2022 as a 16-year-old and joined the team in the summer of 2024 once he celebrated his 18th birthday.
The teenager got his career in a white shirt off to a dream start. Endrick scored his first goal for Real Madrid in his La Liga debut just 10 minutes after he came on the pitch. He then bagged his first ever Champions League goal in his UCL debut, once again as a substitute.
Endrick continued featuring off the bench until Carlo Ancelotti gave him the nod against Lille in the Champions League. The 18-year-old had everything to prove in his first start, but he underwhelmed in Real Madrid's 1–0 defeat.
