Endrick (17), young striker from Brazil, confided his impatience to challenge Lionel Messi on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday as part of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Presented as one of the future stars of world football, Endrick (17) took care not to offend any of the legends of his sport on Sunday in front of the press.
“Messi is the best in the world today”
The striker, who celebrated his first selection with Brazil on Thursday during the defeat in Colombia (2-1)said he was impatient to cross paths with Lionel Messi during the match against Argentina, on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday as part of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
He praised the eight-time Golden Ball while recalling his admiration for the Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi’s greatest rival, but especially King Pelé, Brazilian legend of world football who died on December 29, 2022.
“Messi is phenomenal, he is the best in the world today and to be able to play against him, to see him up close, will be a wonderful experience,” said the Palmeiras player.
He then rushed to salute the memory of King Pelé. “Pelé is still unique and no one will come close to what he did,” Endrick added.
He also played diplomacy towards his future club, Real Madrid, explaining that he was a “fan of Cristiano Ronaldo”, a former Merengues player and five-time Ballon d’Or winner. The very young Brazilian international will join the club in the Spanish capital next summer when he turns 18 (July 21). Real recruited him for almost 40 million euros at 16 years old.
After five days, Brazil, which remains on two consecutive defeats (7 points), is fifth in the qualifications of the South America zone behind Argentina (12), Uruguay (10), Colombia (9) and Venezuela (8).
