It was supposed to be the dream. The next Pele. The boy who would inherit the throne from Cristiano Ronaldo. But as we sit here in early 2026, the story of Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa has taken a turn that precisely zero "wonderkid" scouts predicted two years ago.
He isn't wearing the famous white shirt of Real Madrid right now. Instead, he's in France. Lyon, to be exact.
Wait. Let’s back up.
Most people think Endrick "failed" at Madrid because he wasn't starting every game. That is basically a massive oversimplification. Honestly, the reality is way more nuanced—and a bit more stressful for the 19-year-old. After a rollercoaster first season in Spain where he showed flashes of absolute brilliance, the "Bobby Charlton" of Brazil found himself squeezed in a squad that simply had too many superstars and too little patience.
Why Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa is at Lyon Right Now
The news hit like a ton of bricks on January 1, 2026. Real Madrid officially loaned Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa to Olympique Lyonnais. It wasn't a "get out of here" move; it was a "go get your rhythm back" move.
He had a rough 2025. An injury sidelined him for months, and when he came back, Xabi Alonso—who was managing Madrid at the time—was under immense pressure. Managers under pressure don't usually gamble on teenagers coming off a hamstring tear.
Endrick needed minutes. He needed to feel the ball. He needed to hear a crowd roar for him again.
So, he went to Ligue 1. And guess what? It took him exactly one game to remind everyone why Real Madrid dropped a potential 70 million Euro package on him. On his debut against Lille in the Coupe de France, he scored. Just like that. No warm-up, no "getting used to the league." Just a clinical finish that screamed I don't belong on a bench.
The "Recall" Drama: What's Really Happening?
Right now, there’s this wild rumor flying around because Xabi Alonso left Madrid recently. People are saying Real Madrid are going to trigger a "secret" recall clause to bring Endrick back before January 20.
Technically, the clause exists. Fabrizio Romano and other top insiders have confirmed there's a window until the 20th where Madrid could pull the plug on the loan. But if you're a betting person, don't put money on it.
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Endrick himself basically shut it down in an interview with AS just a few days ago. He said, "I came to France to do what I love, train and play." He's happy. He’s getting 90 minutes. For a kid who spent most of late 2025 watching Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior from the sidelines, that's everything.
Madrid’s interim boss, Alvaro Arbeloa, seems content to let him cook in France for the rest of the season. The plan is simple: 25 games for Lyon, a big World Cup 2026 run with Brazil, and then a "Galactico" return to the Bernabéu.
The Physical Freak: How He Plays in 2026
If you haven't seen him lately, the physical transformation of Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa is kinda scary. He’s only 1.73m (about 5'8"), but he's built like a middleweight boxer. 66kg of pure muscle.
His playing style hasn't changed much since his Palmeiras days, but it’s become more refined. He’s not just a "run fast" striker anymore. He’s learned how to use his stocky frame to pin massive Ligue 1 defenders who are twice his size.
- The Left Foot: It’s still a rocket launcher. He doesn't need much space. Give him a yard at the edge of the box and the keeper is in trouble.
- The Work Rate: This is what most people miss. Endrick is a defensive nightmare. He doesn't stop running. He's that annoying striker who will chase a center-back for 60 yards just to force a bad pass.
- The "Clutch" Factor: He’s already the youngest player to score at Wembley for Brazil. He doesn't do "pressure."
He’s often compared to Ronaldo Nazário, but honestly? He plays more like a left-footed Wayne Rooney or Romário. Short, powerful, and deceptively quick.
A Quick Reality Check on the Numbers
Let's look at the cold, hard data. Because everyone loves to argue about stats.
In the 2024/25 season at Madrid, he played 37 games but only accumulated about 840 minutes. That’s essentially 9 full games worth of time spread over an entire year. He still managed to grab a handful of goals.
Fast forward to January 2026: He’s played one game for Lyon (72 minutes) and has one goal.
That 1.0 goals-per-game average isn't sustainable, obviously. But it proves the point. When he plays, he produces. The struggle at Madrid wasn't about quality; it was about the logjam of talent ahead of him.
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The Poverty to Palmeiras Journey
You can't talk about Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa without talking about where he came from. This isn't just "PR fluff." It’s the engine that drives him.
His childhood in Taguatinga was brutal. Extreme poverty. There's a story—a real one, not a movie script—about his father, Douglas, not being able to find enough food for the family. Endrick saw his father crying and promised him, at age four, that he would become a footballer to save them.
He did.
His dad used to post videos of Endrick’s goals on YouTube to get clubs to notice. It worked. Palmeiras took a chance, and the kid repaid them by scoring 165 goals in 169 youth games. Think about that. That's almost a goal every single game for five years.
By the time he turned 16, he was already the youngest debutant and goalscorer in Palmeiras history. Real Madrid didn't just buy a player; they bought a kid who had been carrying the weight of his family’s survival on his shoulders since he was in primary school. That's why he doesn't crumble when the Bernabéu whistles.
What Most People Get Wrong About His Contract
There’s a lot of misinformation about what Real Madrid actually paid. People see the "72 million" number and freak out.
The breakdown is actually way more "businessy" than that.
It started as a 35 million Euro fixed fee.
Then there's another 25 million tied to "variables."
Every five goals he scores, Madrid pays Palmeiras another 1.6 million.
When he got his first Brazil call-up? Another bonus.
So, in a weird way, the more expensive he gets, the happier Madrid is, because it means he's actually performing. Right now, with his loan to Lyon, those bonuses are mostly on pause for the Spanish side, which gives them some financial breathing room while he develops on someone else’s dime.
The Roadmap to the 2026 World Cup
The next six months are the most important of Endrick’s life. Seriously.
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Brazil is heading into the 2026 World Cup with a lot of questions. Neymar is the veteran, Vinícius is the star, but they need a "Number 9." A real one. A predator.
Endrick is currently the youngest male player to be called up for the Seleção since Ronaldo in 1994. The parallels are almost too perfect. If he dominates Ligue 1 between now and May, he isn't just going to the World Cup; he might be starting.
He’s already proven he can score in Europe. He’s proven he can score for Brazil. Now he just needs to prove he can do it week-in, week-out as a starter.
Common Misconceptions to Toss Out
- "He's too short to be a target man." False. His leap is incredible and his lower-body strength allows him to shield the ball better than most 6-foot strikers.
- "Madrid gave up on him." Absolutely not. They gave him a contract until 2030. You don't give a 6-year deal to someone you've given up on.
- "The hype is dead." Tell that to the Lyon fans who crashed the club shop trying to get a #9 jersey the day he signed.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're following the career of Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa, stop looking at his Madrid highlights and start watching Lyon's schedule.
Keep an eye on January 20. That is the hard deadline for any recall. Once that date passes, he is 100% a Lyon player until June 30, 2026.
For those playing fantasy leagues or following the betting markets, watch his "expected goals" (xG). Even in his limited Madrid minutes, his xG was consistently high. He finds the right spots. He’s a magnet for the ball in the six-yard box.
The next step for him is mastering the French language and integrating into a Lyon side that plays a very different, more physical style of football than Palmeiras or Madrid. If he passes this "test" in France, he returns to Spain not as a "prospect," but as a finished product ready to lead the line for the biggest club in the world.
To track his progress properly, you should monitor his starts versus substitute appearances. His goal at Lyon came as a starter; his struggles at Madrid often came from 10-minute cameos where he was trying too hard to impress. The "90-minute Endrick" is a completely different beast than the "10-minute Endrick."