"He won’t be Messi" - Ex-PL star makes bold claim about Brazil wonderkid Endrick's future despite netting winner vs England
Joey Barton reckons Endrick will struggle to reach the talents of Lionel Messi despite the soon-to-be Real Madrid star scoring the winner in Brazil's 1-0 win against England.
Endrick came off the bench in the 71st minute of Selecao's victory on Saturday (March 23). He took just 10 minutes to score his first international goal, tucking home from close range as the visitors countered.
The 17-year-old became the youngest player to score for Brazil since Ronaldo Nazrio in 1994. He also ended England's 21-game unbeaten run at Wembley, becoming the youngest player in club and international football history to score at the historic stadium.
Endrick is joining La Liga giants Madrid from Brazilian outfit Palmeiras in the summer. Los Blancos paid €45 million for the exciting young talent and expectations are sky high ahead of his arrival at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, Barton refused to get carried away with the hype that surrounds the teenage striker. The former Manchester City midfielder compared him to Brazil icon Romario while questioning his movement.
Barton posted on X (formerly Twitter):
"Endrick debut goal at Wembley at 17. Strange shape and mover. Has streaks of Romario. Romario would have scored that chance at the end."
Barton doubts the striker's ability to follow in the footsteps of the likes of icons such as Messi and England hero Wayne Rooney:
"Endrick (Big Shout! Will be another show pony.) Don't think he moves well enough without the ball. He won't be Messi. He won't be Rooney."
Endrick has wowed fans in Brazil with enthralling performances for Palmeiras. He's registered 18 goals and three assists in 66 games across competitions since debuting aged 16.
The Selecao starlet's rise at Palmeiras in their youth system caught the eye of England icon Gary Lineker. The former Tottenham Hotspur striker reacted on X to the youngster bagging an incredible goal aged 15:
"Crikey, he's at it again. He's 15. I think we might be seeing a very special talent emerging."
The Palmeiras forward was born the same month as the 2006 FIFA World Cup final. He is tipped to become a future superstar at Madrid and will link up with England's Jude Bellingham at the Bernabeu.
Endrick admitted he prefers Cristiano Ronaldo to Lionel Messi
Endrick is a fan of Messi and had the opportunity to play against the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner in November. 10-man Brazil suffered a 1-0 loss to Argentina in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Maracana.
Real Madrid's future star touched on the prospect of facing the Barcelona legend at the time. He was starstruck but admitted he preferred the 2022 World Cup winner's longtime rival Cristiano Ronaldo (via GOAL):
"I just want to enjoy the moment of being able to play against him, being in the same stadium as him, looking at him up close, I only saw him in the video game. Messi is a great player but I'm more of a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo."
Messi, 36, cemented his legacy as one of, if not, the greatest players in history in 2022. He captained Argentina to World Cup glory, posting seven goals and three assists in seven games.
The Inter Miami superstar's closest rival throughout his career has been Ronaldo. The iconic duo have battled it out for the Ballon d'Or over the past two decades.
Ronaldo, 39, is the superior goalscorer, becoming club and international football's all-time top scorer. The Al-Nassr superstar has registered 745 goals and 236 assists in 1001 club games and 128 goals and 46 assists in 205 caps.