Explained: Why Endrick can't join Real Madrid until 2024

• FIFA rules prevent 16-year-old from moving abroad
• Real Madrid will pay Palmerias €60m to sign Endrick
• Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo also had to wait for Spain switch

WHAT HAPPENED? FIFA regulations will prevent Endrick from wearing a Real Madrid shirt for the next 18 months, as he will have to wait until his 18th birthday before he can officially move to Madrid. The club have already reached an agreement for his signature, however, so it's just a matter of time until he becomes the newest member of the Santiago Bernabeu's Brazilian contingent.

WHY DOES ENDRICK NEED TO WAIT? FIFA implemented strict transfer laws preventing minors from playing abroad due to player abuse. European players, however, can move within the EU as minors.

Endrick will have to comply with the regulations and wait his turn to put on a Madrid kit. This is no new concept for Los Blancos - star winger Vinicius Junior, for example, was signed from Flamengo 15 months before he turned 18.

WHAT THEY SAID: The teenage sensation promised he would continue to deliver for Palmeiras: "Until I join Real Madrid, I will continue to dedicate myself as I always have in order to offer Palmeiras even more on the field: more goals, more victories, more titles and even more joy for our fans."

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT FOR ENDRICK? The 16-year-old sensation will continue to develop for Palmerias until 2024, when he can officially make the switch to Madrid.