A 17-year-old boy who had only seen Lionel Messi in online games had the chance to meet him in real life. Not as a fan. The boy will be able to go head-to-head with Messi as his enemy.
The 17-year-old is Endrik, the “future” of Brazilian soccer. He plays for the Brazilian club Paumeiras and is one of the top talents in world soccer. He’s already signed with Real Madrid. He plans to join Real Madrid next year when he turns 18.
He was also called up to the Brazil A team. With Neymar, Ricardo, and other attacking talents out with injuries, Brazil didn’t hesitate to call up the future of Brazil’s A team. Endrik made his A-match debut immediately.
On July 17, Brazil faced Colombia in the fifth round of South American qualifying for the 2026 North and Central American World Cup. Endrick made his A-match debut in the 37th minute, replacing Hapinha. Endrik made his A-match debut at 17 years, 118 days, making him the fourth youngest debutant in Brazil’s history. Brazil lost the match 1-2.
Brazil’s next opponent is Argentina, who are in a tough spot. Things aren’t looking good for Argentina either. They lost a 0-2 World Cup qualifier to Uruguay on July 17. Argentina’s 14-game winning streak came to a halt after winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
The big match between Brazil and Argentina will take place on June 22 at home in Brazil. It will be Endrick’s first chance to play against Messi, who he has only seen in online games. And he’s excited.
“Messi is a phenomenal player. He’s a very good player, the best player in the world. I’ve only seen him in online games. Now I can see him up close. I can watch him in the same stadium as him, playing against him. It’s really cool. I want to enjoy the moment when I can play with Messi,” he said, expressing his excitement.
But it will be a battle. You can’t back down from Brazil’s biggest rival. Enderle had the first shot at Messi.
“Messi is a very good player,” he says. But I’m a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo,” he emphasized.