In his debut for Real Madrid, Endrick only needed 10 minutes to leave a mark. The young Brazilian replaced Kylian Mbappé towards the end of the match and scored a goal in stoppage time, securing Madrid’s 3-0 victory over Valladolid on Sunday. This achievement made Endrick the youngest foreign player to score for Madrid in the Spanish league at the age of 18 years and 35 days, surpassing Frenchman Raphael Varane’s record of 18 years and 152 days set in 2011.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti praised Endrick, saying he has a lot of potential and has quickly shown his quality with his control and powerful shot. He also described him as a dangerous center forward, especially in tight spaces. This win marked Madrid’s first victory in the league after a 1-1 draw against Mallorca in their opening match. Mbappé, who had scored in Madrid’s UEFA Super Cup win over Atalanta, was making his debut at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium as a Madrid player but has yet to score in the first two league matches.
Federico Valverde gave Madrid the lead in the 50th minute, followed by Brahim Díaz’s goal on a breakaway in the 88th minute. Endrick then sealed the win with a goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time, dribbling past a defender and shooting into the near corner. He had come on as a substitute for Mbappé in the 86th minute. Valverde praised Endrick, saying he deserves the goal and should continue to work hard to earn his place in the team.
Endrick was only 16 years old when he was bought by Madrid from Brazilian club Palmeiras for over 40 million euros in 2022. He stayed with Palmeiras until he turned 18 and joined Madrid for the current season. Madrid has previously signed young talents like Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, who are now regular starters for the club. Endrick was an unused substitute in Madrid’s first two matches of the season, against Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup and Mallorca.
After a draw against Villarreal in their first match, Atletico Madrid earned their first league victory of the season by beating Girona 3-0 at home. Antoine Griezmann, Marcos Llorente, and Koke scored for Atletico. In other matches, newly-promoted Leganes won 2-1 against Las Palmas at home, while Betis drew 0-0 against Alaves. Villarreal will host Celta on Monday.
