17-year-old Endrick’s first Brazil goal beats England and sets record

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This article was published 23/03/2024 (923 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LONDON (AP) — Real Madrid-bound Endrick became the youngest men’s player to score an international goal at Wembley as Brazil beat England 1-0 in a friendly on Saturday.

Endrick, who will move from Palmeiras to Madrid at the end of the season when he turns 18, struck nine minutes after coming on as a second half substitute.

“My family is here, my girlfriend, my agents. I am not much of a crier, I am holding myself, but this is something unique and I am very happy,” he said.

Based on his second half cameo, Madrid has secured another major talent for the future.

Coming on for Rodrygo in the 71st minute, Endrick wasted little time to make his mark, firing into an empty net after Vinicius Junior was denied by England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Endrick could not hide his delight as he raced away in celebration and dropped to his knees — even though he did have to wait for VAR to confirm the goal following a check for offside.

It was his first senior goal for Brazil and, at the age of 17 years, 246 days, a record for an international game at Wembley, according to statistician Opta.

He might have scored another, but could not beat Pickford with a late chance.

“All of this affected me a little at the end, the chance I had at the end. I will not lie,” Endrick said. “I was just thinking about scoring. I could only think about that. I couldn’t think about the match any longer.”

Ultimately, his one goal was enough to win the match and end England’s 21-game unbeaten streak at the national stadium.

“We know he’s a dangerous player. He’s managed to follow in for the goal,” Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate said. “We should have defended the goal better than we did. It’s a brilliant moment for him.

“We had as many attempts as them on goal, but in the end it is that ruthless moment that decides the game.”

Madrid secured a deal for Endrick in December 2022 when he was just 16 but already tipped to be one of Brazil’s next stars. Brazilian media said the transfer was worth nearly 60 million euros ($64 million).

He will be 18 in July.

Last year, he helped Palmeiras win the Brazilian league from 12 points behind Botafogo at one stage.

He will join other Brazil stars at Madrid such as Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.

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As well as losing the match, England had a potential setback when defender Kyle Walker suffered a suspected hamstring injury. He was taken off after 20 minutes following treatment on the field.

“He is feeling something, but he is not a player that is injured very often so he is not quite certain what it is,” Southgate said. “We will have to assess it over the next couple of days.”

Southgate also said Harry Kane will return to Bayern Munich and not take part in Tuesday’s friendly against Belgium.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer