‘Messi is a great player, but…’ – Endrick has his say on the GOAT debate

Endrick chose between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi ahead of Brazil vs Argentina.

‘Messi is a great player, but…’ – Endrick has his say on the GOAT debate

Cristiano Ronaldo, Endrick and Lionel Messi. (Via Goal.com, ESPN & BR Football)

Soon-to-be Real Madrid player Endrick shared his take on the never-ending debate of whether he prefers Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. The current Palmeiras star told popular sports media platform GOAL that he prefers the Portuguese superstar over his Argentine rival, much to the delight of Real Madrid fans. Endrick said:

Messi is a great player, but I'm more of a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Much to the delight of Real Madrid fans, Endrick is set to join the club when he turns 18 in July 2024.

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The 17-year-old recently made headlines by making his debut for the Brazil senior football team in a 2-1 loss to Colombia. Currently at Palmeiras, the youngster has 12 goals in all competitions for the club this year. He is set to join Real Madrid on a €72 million transfer in July of next year.

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While many fans on Twitter believe that the player genuinely prefers Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi, others refute the claim. Many believe that Endrick is saying so because he is set to join rivals Real Madrid.

The youngster is a promising talent and will join the likes of Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo Goes in attack. Several clubs, including PSG and FC Barcelona.

Endrick beats Ronaldo Nazario to become the fourth youngest debutant for Brazil

Endrick made headlines when the 17-year-old made his debut in the senior team for Brazil. Even though the Seleção lost 2-1 in a disappointing game against Colombia, Endrick clinched a unique record in the process. The young Palmeiras star became the fourth-youngest player to play for Brazil, only behind Pele, Eduardo Gaspar, and Philippe Coutinho.

Endrick and Ronaldo Nazario
Endrick and Ronaldo Nazario (Via X/@brfootball and FootyLines)

Endrick also overtook Ronaldo Nazario and Walter to rise to 4th spot, a record which dates back to 1966. He was aged 17 years and 118 days old when he made his debut for the team. The player started the game against Colombia on the bench and came on in the 82nd minute for FC Barcelona star Raphinha. The 17-year-old had a muted cameo, playing just 8 minutes and making 5 touches in total.

The player is set to face Lionel Messi and Argentina on November 21st. While asked about the same, he replied: 

I just want to enjoy the moment of playing against him, looking up at him close, being in the same stadium.

He also said that he’s only seen the Argentine in video games before and that the prospect of meeting him up close would be wonderful. He added that playing for Real has been his dream since childhood.

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