Wearing Real Madrid's number 9 jersey, Endrick has gone 5 months without playing and fears missing out on the World Cup; he is considering a loan move.

The critical move for a young star to truly establish themselves is transferring clubs; moving too soon to a major European Big Five league team can be detrimental. Brazilian prospects Roca and Endrick opted early for La Liga powerhouses Barcelona and Real Madrid, yet both faced setbacks in their growth and lacked regular game time. Roca wisely reversed course by returning to Palmeiras in Brazil, where he now ranks third among the league’s top scorers.

Endrick, a fellow Brazilian of Roca, donned Real Madrid’s iconic number 9 jersey this season, but under coach Alonso’s tactics, he has been completely sidelined.

At just 19 years old, Endrick is valued at 35 million euros by Transfermarkt and plays as a left-footed forward. Despite this, he has yet to make an appearance for Real Madrid this season. Before the campaign started, new coach Alonso informed Endrick that he was not part of the team’s plans, but Endrick chose to stay. Real Madrid even assigned him the number 9 shirt, yet all this means little when he is not getting any playing time.

Endrick is regarded as a Brazilian football prodigy, often compared to a second Vinicius or Rodrygo. He joined the world-renowned Real Madrid at just 17 and even scored for Brazil’s senior national team early on. However, the reality after joining Madrid has been harsh; at the age when he most needs match experience to improve, he has been confined to the bench. According to Spanish media outlet Marca, Endrick fears that his lack of playing time will prevent him from being selected for Brazil’s 2026 World Cup squad. He is considering a loan move during the winter transfer window to a top European league club where he can play regularly. Given the fierce competition in Real Madrid’s attacking line, a loan appears to be his only option. If he performs well on loan, he may return; if not, it would suggest he lacks the quality to play for Madrid. In this regard, Roca has been more clear-eyed and decisive than Endrick.