The debate about the center forward of the national team Brazil intensified after the draw against Morocco in its World Cup debut, with more and more voices calling for Endrick to start.
The young Real Madrid attacker did not play a single minute against the Africans. He warmed up on the side MetLife Stadium, but returned to the bench with evident frustration upon learning that he would not be included in Carlo Ancelotti’s changes.
The images of his disappointment soon went viral on social networks. According to the lip reading carried out by the Globo network, Endrick told Neymar: “If I could, I would go in, right?” The ’10’ tried to console him with a hug.
Asked about his former manager’s lack of minutes, Ancelotti avoided referring to the topic: “I’m not here to talk about a particular player, but about the team,” he responded.
Endrick, 19, is coming off a good season with the Olympique de Lyon, where he scored eight goals and gave eight assists during his loan. With the national team he adds four goals in 490 minutes since its debut in November 2023.
Along with Rayan Vitor, he is one of the youngest Brazilians called up to a World Cup since Ronaldo in 1994, which has increased expectations about his prominence. Given this scenario, part of the press and fans are already asking him to start in the second game of Group C, against Haiti, on Friday in Philadelphia.
Igor Thiago, designated
The 1-1 draw also left strong criticism of Igor Thiago, Brentford forward, who made a surprise start.
Despite having a great season in England —with 25 goals in all competitions—the attacker was one of the most questioned, along with Casemiro and Lucas Paquetá.
Thiago, 24, is a physical forward, strong in the air, but with difficulties outside the area. He missed a clear header chance with the score 0-0, which earned him reproach from the fans. Since his debut with the national team in March, he has scored two goals in 193 minutes, with a better average than Endrick.
Cunha, the alternative
Ancelotti replaced Thiago in the 61st minute, bringing on Luiz Henrique and Matheus Cunha, which gave the team greater control.
The Manchester United striker was, in fact, one of the favorites to start and provided greater clarity in attack, although without changing the score.
Cunha arrives with more discreet numbers this season: 10 goals and four assists in the Premier League. Now, the big unknown is who will be the ‘9’ against Haiti: Cunha, Igor Thiago or Endrick, the player that many have already asked to see from the beginning.