Real Madrid's Endrick grapples with World Cup ambitions amid limited playing time

The 18-year-old Brazilian forward Endrick of Real Madrid has openly expressed his concerns about missing the 2026 FIFA World Cup because of his current lack of playing time. "To be honest, what goes through my head a lot is that I'm afraid of not being at the 2026 World Cup," Endrick claimed in an interview.

With only 28 appearances and six goals in all competitions, the young striker, who paid €60 million to join Real Madrid last summer, has struggled to find first-team opportunities. Endrick's anxiety about his World Cup prospects is palpable, as he told Brazilian legend Romario, "I'm worried… because it's my dream to be at World Cup. It's even difficult to speak about that".

Despite his limited minutes in La Liga, Endrick has already earned 13 caps for Brazil, scoring his first international goal in a friendly against England last year. Brazil is currently fifth in the South American World Cup qualifying table and has significant games against Argentina and Colombia this month, so the forward's worries come at a critical moment.

With the 2026 World Cup set to be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Endrick's desire to secure his place in the Brazilian squad is clear as he stated, "I want to help Brazil to win the 6th World Cup".