Release Endrick! Brazil must start Real Madrid-bound wonderkid at the Copa America this summer

Brazil, in many ways, are still scarred by the premature end to Ronaldo's top-level career. Injuries robbed the great striker - who had already reached immense heights - of what should have been a stratospheric second-half of his career. Since the mid-2000s, the Selecao, and country at large, have been seeking the next striker to assume his mantle.

Many have tried. Adriano burned brightly but briefly; Robinho flirted with stardom; Alexandre Pato came close. Most recently, Gabriel Jesus, Richarlison and Rodrygo have all had their moments. And although the latter three are all excellent footballers in their own right, none are top-level goal-scorers. They have all, in fact, spoken of the pressures that come with playing as a No.9 for the Brazilian national team. This is starting to look like an impossible job.

And it is in that landscape that Endrick has emerged. Dubbed, at just 15, as being 'the next Pele', the Palmeiras striker has been tabbed for stardom for years. The race to secure his signature was played out in public, as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Arsenal and countless others leveraged the might of their South American scouting networks to entice the Brazilian to their clubs.

Madrid won the race, their Brazilian-laden team, as well as a handsome €60 million (£52m/$64m) fee, proving enough to secure South American football's next big star. Expectations soon skyrocketed, and despite an up-and-down first full season at senior level in Brazil, during which he scored 11 goals in 31 league games, Endrick received a call-up to his national side in November 2023. Still, he hardly played as a struggling Brazil side lost back-to-back World Cup qualifiers.

And that might have been it. It might just not have been Endrick's time. That is, until new manager Dorival Jr decided to keep Endrick in the fold for the March friendlies against England and Spain. Already hailed as the next big thing - and laden in the kind of Gucci outfits to back it up - the hype went into overdrive.

It might seem hasty to ask so much of a player so young - no matter how good he is. But for a Brazil team in a state of transition, they have few other places to go. Richarlison has starred in moments for the national team, but his achievements outside one of the best goals of the 2022 World Cup have been limited. Jesus, meanwhile, has been open about his lack of confidence in front of goal, and Rodrygo, remains adamant in his assertion that he is not a natural striker.

Endrick is, then, the most obvious, and natural No.9 in the pool. Although he can play anywhere in the front three, Endrick is at his best stretching the defence as a central striker, and carrying the ball on the counter. Most importantly, though, he is deadly in front of goal, and possesses the crucial positional awareness that all prolific strikers have. That alone makes him unlike anyone Dorival can turn to to lead the line.

And perhaps he makes the most sense when the Selecao are trying to piece a functional team together. Dorival prefers something resembling a standard 4-3-3, relying on two wingers to stretch the defence - or make runs in behind - and one central player to link things in the middle. Against England, Rodrygo operated as a false nine, with Vinicius Jr on one side and Raphinha on the other. It didn't quite function in a traditional manner, but with pace to burn in that forward line, Brazil were still dangerous on the break at Wembley.

Throw Endrick into the mix, and things could definitely improve. Vinicius would seem to be a shoo-in on the left, while using Endrick centrally could offer Rodrygo the opportunity to play on the right-wing, where he has been at his best for Real Madrid in the last 18 months.

Such is Endrick's versatility, he could operate within the system in multiple ways, but if Brazil are to become a dangerous counter-attacking force, with a physical midfield trio of Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes and Lucas Paqueta holding everything together, then Endrick seems to be the perfect player to lead that line.

And Carlo Ancelotti would, presumably, be delighted if this all fits together, though it's unclear just how much Endrick will play for Madrid next season. The presumptive arrival of Kylian Mbappe, who would become Ancelotti's first-choice No.9, would seem to hinder the potential for Endrick to get minutes in the Spanish capital (although that may not be a bad thing for an 18-year-old who is yet to play a minute of European football).

Still, having Vinicius, Rodrygo and Endrick on the same pitch for consistent minutes at international level can only be a good thing for the Spanish giants. Chemistry can be hard to develop, and with Endrick's role at Madrid perhaps limited to a series of bench cameos, piecing everything together based on training sessions alone might not be easy.

There will be some growing pains here - Brazil are still very much a team in flux - but there may not be a better place for Madrid's best attacking pieces to figure out how to play together. All three are currently training at Madrid's Valdebebas base ahead of the Selecao's clash with Spain on Tuesday, as for the first time, Endrick will step out under the Santiago Bernabeu lights. It feels like fate for him to produce another magic moment.

Endrick's performance against England wasn't world-class. It was, ultimately, incomplete; high in energy, at times low in quality, but, ultimately, ending in one crucial moment. Zoom out, though, and that cameo could be vital for his development, and his growing legend. He became the youngest player to ever score at Wembley, while he is already the youngest male player to make his Brazil debut since Ronaldo, and the fourth-youngest player ever represent the Selecao.

He is still an extremely raw 17-year-old, with the world on his shoulders, weighed down by the pressure of an expectant nation that put him on the cover of its GQ magazine. He is still criticised for crying on the bench during a difficult streak in the middle of last season. He still, though, remains the best prospect to come out of his country in years.

There is a curse at play here, as many others have crumbled under the weight of expectation of donning the Brazil No.9. This version of Brazil, though, feels like it is currently playing with lower stakes. Endrick can, effectively, be a part of an experiment, the only viable option to make this team complete, but perhaps with an understanding that if they are to fail, it won't be his fault alone.

Endrick showed in just 20 middling minutes at Wembley that he is ready for the big stage; now it's time for Brazil to give him as many opportunities to impress as they can.