'He didn't play as well as he could' – Endrick's progression stalled at Real Madrid due to presence of Vinicius Junior & Rodrygo, admits Carlo Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti admits that Endrick’s development at Real Madrid stalled due to the presence of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, with the Italian tactician having to decide whether the teenage forward is deserving of a place in his Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup. Spots in that selection remain up for grabs less than a year out from the tournament itself.

'He didn't play as well as he could' - Endrick's progression stalled at Real Madrid due to presence of Vinicius Junior & Rodrygo, admits Carlo Ancelotti'He didn't play as well as he could' - Endrick's progression stalled at Real Madrid due to presence of Vinicius Junior & Rodrygo, admits Carlo Ancelotti'He didn't play as well as he could' - Endrick's progression stalled at Real Madrid due to presence of Vinicius Junior & Rodrygo, admits Carlo Ancelotti

did not feature in ‘s latest squad, although a number of household names were rested for the final rounds of qualifying duty as the Selecao are already safely through to next summer’s finals.

He was last picked in March, with regular game time at club level proving hard to come by. Endrick started just three La Liga games for Real last season, when Ancelotti was his manager at Santiago Bernabeu.

The 19-year-old faces fierce competition for places in the Spanish capital, which is putting his place in the Brazil squad under threat. The South American nation also have other exciting youngsters emerging – such as , who is now in the مع .

Ancelotti told إي إس بي إن when asked about the potential at his disposal: “I really like Estevao, he’s young, he has personality, character. He started well in the Premier League, obviously Estevao, not only for this World Cup, but for the future of the team, will be a very, very important player.

“Well, Endrick is like Estevao. He’s a great talent. I think Estevao was lucky. The problem with young people who go to Europe is that they have a leading role here, but not much of a leading role there. I coached Endrick for a year and really liked him as a person and as a professional.

“And, obviously, he didn’t play as well as he could, because had Rodrigo, Vini; competition in a big team is important, and that can affect a player’s progression a little.”

Endrick is yet to figure for Real Madrid this season after suffering a setback in his recovery from a hamstring injury. Said ailment ended talk of a possible loan move being completed in the summer transfer window.