Real Madrid-bound Endrick matches Brazil goalscoring record held by Pele after scoring against England and Spain
Real Madrid-bound wonderkid Endrick became only the second Brazilian player after legendary forward Pele to score in consecutive international appearances before turning 18 with his goals against England and Spain.
Endrick's strike against England at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, March 23, in the 80th minute earned his side a 1-0 victory. In the process, he became the youngest player to score a senior goal at club or international level at the illustrious stadium.
Against Spain, he scored just five minutes after his introduction at half-time to draw the game level at 2-2. It was Endrick's first goal at the Santiago Bernabeu, with a €45 million move to Real Madrid lined up already for July 2024. The game eventually ended 3-3, with late penalties from midfielders Rodri and Lucas Paqueta settling the scores.
Pele also announced himself to the world in similar fashion, netting six goals at the 1958 World Cup and inspiring Brazil to their first FIFA World Cup title. Impressively, all six of his goals were scored in the knockout stages, against Wales, France, and Sweden in the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final, respectively.
Pele had previously achieved the feat at the age of 16, when he scored in back-to-back games against Argentina in his first two senior appearances and against Paraguay in his third appearance as well.
Endrick might have the opportunity to extend his scoring run to three when Brazil take on Mexico and the USA in warm-up games for the Copa America, which starts in June.
Kylian Mbappe's Real Madrid presentation could be delayed till August: Reports
While Endrick's upcoming move to Real Madrid has already been confirmed, Kylian Mbappe is also expected to make his highly anticipated move to the Spanish capital in the summer.
Although nothing has been confirmed officially by the club or the player's entourage, Spanish publication AS have already provided details about the preparations in Madrid for Mbappe's arrival.
Los Blancos are facing a scheduling issue with respect to Mbappe's announcement as their fixtures schedule does not align favourably with the Frenchman's current club, Paris Saint-Germain. PSG will complete their Ligue 1 campaign on May 18, while Real will only finish up their La Liga season on May 26.
With Real firmly in the drivers' seat for the league title, their last home game against Real Betis could be a potential celebration for their 36th league win. This would rule out the possibility of a presentation before that game.
PSG and Real Madrid are also alive in the UEFA Champions League, with both teams solid contenders for the title. If Real Madrid or PSG reach the final, which will be played on June 1 at Wembley Stadium, it could push the announcement even further into the future.
After that, the UEFA European Championships are set to commence in Germany on June 14. Asking French coach Didier Deschamps to release Mbappe from training camp for his presentation has reportedly been ruled out as unfeasible by the Real Madrid administration.
These signs point towards the eventuality that a potential presentation ceremony for the Frenchman, if the move is finalized, would have to take place in August.