Last December, Carlo Ancelotti had a conversation with Endrick, a boy who had always listened to his advice during the season they shared at Real Madrid. During that chat, the current Brazil coach convinced the forward that the best option for his future would be to find a team where he could get playing time. Otherwise, his presence in the 2026 World Cup seemed impossible, given the fierce competition posed by Matheus Cunha or Joao Pedro for the '9' position in the canarinha. What perhaps Carletto could not expect, only six weeks after that call, was such a dazzling explosion.
In his first three games with Olympique de Lyon, Endrick has scored four goals and provided an assist. During his 31 matches in La Liga and the Champions League with Madrid, his record was reduced to two goals and one assist. This season, the situation had become so desperate that the forward did not hesitate to ask Florentino Pérez for permission to seek new horizons. The president, who was initially not entirely convinced, finally gave the green light to the loan.
Last Sunday, Endrick scored his first career hat-trick against Metz, the bottom team in Ligue 1, unable to contain his runs on the right side of the attack (2-5). Those 50-meter sprints that already captivated scouts from the best clubs in the world in 2022. "We have spoken with his father. Hopefully, he can come because he is a player we need," admitted Xavi Hernández, then coach of Barça. Endrick had only played a couple of games with Palmeiras, but he was already amazing with the power of his stride, his left-footed shot from outside the box, and his tireless intensity in every action.
These virtues faded under Ancelotti's orders, always attentive to the hierarchies in the dressing room. Endrick's direct style also did not charm Xabi Alonso this summer, who was looking for someone more associative in the attack. His hamstring injury in his right leg, which ruled him out of the Club World Cup, was going to coincide with the appearances of Franco Mastantuono and Gonzalo García. So, a few days after the start of the tournament, Endrick did not hesitate to travel to the United States to speak in person with the coach from San Sebastián. In December, the return of Rodrygo to the team dashed his hopes.
Endrick ended up choosing Lyon after a call from Paulo Fonseca, who promised him a fixed place in their attack. A real gift for the Portuguese coach, who had to deal with the financial crisis of Olympique, provisionally relegated last August due to a debt exceeding 500 million euros. Even in this situation, Les Gones agreed to pay one million euros - half of his salary - until June.
After a hesitant start, with three defeats in the first eight Ligue 1 matches, Lyon now has eight consecutive victories in all competitions. In fact, they are shaping up as strong contenders for the Coupe de France title, where PSG has already been eliminated, and the Europa League, where they lead after their victory last Thursday against Young Boys (0-1).
Endrick, on Sunday, against Colin and Fischer at Stade Saint-Symphorien.AFP
A large part of this qualitative leap must be attributed to Endrick. His scoring figures are the best at Stade Gerland since August 2017, the date of the emergence of Mariano Díaz, another former Madrid player. Even when he doesn't score, the influence of the '9' in the game is overwhelming. Against Brest, for example, he completed nine dribbles, won 13 duels, had 12 touches in the opponent's area, and provided five passes that ended in a teammate's shot.
If he can maintain these numbers consistently, Ancelotti could finally give him a place in the squad. Because in his previous 14 matches with Brazil, under Fernando Diniz and Dorival Junior, Endrick only started one, in the quarter-finals of the 2024 Copa America against Uruguay. However, today he is showing all his potential again at just 19 years old. In this century, only Jérémy Ménez (17 years and 260 days in January 2005), Kylian Mbappé (18 years and 53 days in February 2017), and Ousmane Dembélé (18 years and 296 days in March 2016) scored a hat-trick at a younger age in Ligue 1.