Copa America 2024: Brazil's Endrick sets unwanted record against Uruguay

Endrick’s Brazil lost 4-2 to Uruguay on penalties in the quarter-finals.

Following the suspension of Vinicius Junior, Brazil head coach Dorival Junior opted to use Endrick as striker against Uruguay with Rodrygo on the left. The Selecao managed to hold Marcelo Bielsa’s side for the entire 90 minutes forcing the game to penalties. Amidst this, the rising star Endrick had one of the worst outings of his career.

The Real Madrid-bound star completed only one pass in the entire game. That single pass also came for the sole cause of starting the game in kick-off. The highly talented star barely had a sniff of the ball and whenever he was in possession he was either fouled or dispossessed by the aggressive Uruguayan defenders.

Although Endrick was selected to wear the number nine shirt for Brazil this summer, he made his tournament debut in the quarterfinals, coming in to take Vinicius Junior’s spot while he was suspended.

In the three group matches of Copa America 2024 against Colombia, Paraguay, and Costa Rica, the teenage sensation Endrick appeared off the bench but did not have a significant effect on the game. Brazil’s performance as a team was very lacklustre overall. In the 270 minutes of play against Costa Rica, Colombia, and Uruguay, they only managed to score one goal. Their solo win came against Paraguay in group stage.

In March, Endrick’s reputation increased after he scored in back-to-back international matches for Brazil against England and Spain.

He made an earlier imprint for the Selecao like prior teenage prodigies Ronaldo and Neymar who went on to become legends. He was the youngest person since Pele to score a goal before reaching 18.

On July 21, Endrick will turn 18, making him qualified to finalise his relocation to Madrid. Expectations for him will be quite high, but since he will soon be teammates with Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo, and Vinicius Junior, he might need to wait for opportunities early in the season.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.