"I Want To Show Them Who Endrick Is," Says Brazil Football Phenom

At 17 years old, he is already being compared to Neymar and Pele. But Endrick, the teenager hailed as Brazilian football's next great hope, says he doesn't pay attention to the hype. "I know no one can even touch the feet of Pele. He's the King of football," says the young forward, who just helped Sao Paulo club Palmeiras to a second straight Brazilian league title and will join Real Madrid next year when he turns 18. "I just want to be Endrick. I want to show them who Endrick is," he told AFP in an interview at an event with a new sponsor in Sao Paulo.

Compact, fast and ingenious with the ball, Endrick has already racked up an impressive list of accolades since making his professional debut at 16.

Besides two league trophies, he has inspired Palmeiras to the Brazilian Super Cup and Sao Paulo state championship. Last month, he became the youngest player to be called up to the national team since Ronaldo in 1994.

The striker, who signed with Real Madrid last year for a reported $65 million plus bonuses, comes along at a difficult moment in Brazilian football.

Five-time World Cup champions Brazil have not managed to hoist the trophy since 2002.

Critics in the land of the "beautiful game" say the generation led by Neymar has failed to live up to the glory days of Pele and Ronaldo.

The "Selecao" are currently a lowly sixth place in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, after suffering the humiliation of three straight defeats, including their first-ever home loss in a qualifier to arch-rivals and reigning champions Argentina last month.

There is growing clamor for national team coach Fernando Diniz to make Endrick a starter and give him the number 9 of past Brazil greats such as Ronaldo and Tostao.

"A lot of players want to be