Real Madrid-bound Endrick lauds Cristiano Ronaldo as his ‘idol’ with Brazilian starlet ‘proud’ to follow in footsteps of Los Blancos legend

The teenager will finally realise his dream move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 once he turns 18 in July. The club has already reached an agreement for his signature in a deal worth €60 million (£52m/$64m), with €35m due upfront and a further €25m in add-ons. Endrick is elated that he will join the Spanish giants where Ronaldo plied his trade for over a decade and hailed the Portuguese as one of his "biggest idols."

Speaking to Daily Mail he said: "My dream since I was little, has always been to play for Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo is one of my biggest idols. So it is a great pride to know that I will wear the same shirt he wore."

Endrick was summoned by Brazil head coach Fernando Diniz after he played a starring role for Palmeiras against bitter rivals Botafogo with two goals and an assist to help his side come from a 3-0 deficit and win 4-3 in the 99th minute. He revealed that it would be another "dream come true" as he might make his Brazil debut aged just 17 years and 118 days, the third-youngest to do so after Pele, Edu and Coutinho.

"It has always been an ultimate dream to wear the Brazil jersey. Things have happened very quickly in my life, and this is another dream come true. I can only thank my family, agents, and Palmeiras, who have always believed in me," he said.

Endrick will be hoping to feature for Brazil against Colombia on Thursday in a World Cup qualifier. While, Ronaldo will be in action earlier on the same day against Liechtenstein in a Euro 2024 qualifier with Portugal.