Real Madrid faced a strategic shift after the forward line’s cap on spending restricted big-name signings and retirement of long-time stars. The club weighed the heavy costs of the Bernabéu rebuild and rejected the unaffordable terms of the Mbappé pursuit. In a climate buoyed by sports, media, and advertising, Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa emerged as a standout Brazilian talent. He debuted for Brazil at 17, and Real Madrid moved decisively to install the young striker as the next number 9. Florentino Pérez aims for Endrick to wear the famed shirt from the upcoming season as he joins the white team next summer.
Four reasons why Florentino fell out of love with Mbappé
Fermin de la Calle
by 2030
José Ángel Sánchez, serving as technical secretary and general director under the guidance of Juni Calafat, the club’s scouting director, has shown a firm commitment to the green-yellow forward. The player who arrived in Madrid has already become one of the most exciting talents in Brazilian football in recent years. During the last national team break, Endrick, at the age of 17 years, 3 months and 27 days, became Brazil’s fourth youngest player, following Pelé, Edú, and Antonio Wilson Vieira Honório, known as Coutinho. Referred to as “O Fenómeno” in Brazil, he is set to sign a three-year professional contract with Real Madrid in the summer, keeping him at Chamartín until 2030 with an option to extend for three more years.
Endrick closed his signing for a total of 35 million euros fixed plus 25 million euros in variables, responding with goals scored for Palmeiras. At 15, he netted six goals in seven appearances for Copinha. With Palmeiras, he collected titles across age groups and the senior team, tallying 161 goals in 181 appearances and becoming the youngest Palmeiras first-team player at 16 years, two months, and 15 days, and the youngest scorer at 16 years, three months, and four days. At 17, he already owned three titles: the State Championship, the 2022 Brazilian Championship, and the 2023 Brazilian Super Cup.
Who is Endrick becoming? Early in his career, his numbers in Brazil rivaled those of Rodrygo and Neymar. That trajectory, already accepted in Brazil and at the Bernabéu, convinced Florentino to listen to Calafat and Sánchez and to bet on Endrick owning Real Madrid’s number 9 shirt. In addition to reinforcing his star status with scoring records, the Brazilian quickly expanded his media footprint, becoming the third-most prominent promotional figure for Brazil after Vinícius and Rodrygo, excluding Neymar due to injury.
New Balance and Jordan partnership
Endrick’s agreement with New Balance became public after Michael Jordan’s historic Nike deal. After wearing Palmeiras’ kit in his early years, the striker signed a high-profile contract with New Balance through 2028. The player’s family participated in negotiations and introduced several requirements, including a personalized product line bearing Endrick’s name, affordable items for fans with tighter budgets, and a pledge to allocate 10 percent of total sales to social projects.
Endrick is also the face of other brands such as Odontocompany, a leading dental clinic franchise with thousands of branches worldwide, and the gaming platform Rei do Pitaco. Wolf Sport, a management firm led by Fabio Wolf who previously worked with Neymar, handles Endrick’s image rights.
“Endrick has shown remarkable maturity in navigating the steps necessary for success on and off the pitch, especially in business and social media,” notes Wolf. “Most players his age would be content with quick gains, but Endrick seeks relationships with a small number of brands, built around meaningful stories rather than simple financial exchanges.”
Endrick is no longer merely a promise; he has become a star brands actively seek to align with, both on and off the field. Real Madrid, by elevating the media profile of players donning its jersey, will further expand Endrick’s public footprint. The decision to award him the number 9 has attracted sponsor interest eager to tie their brands to Endrick for the next season. Jorge Valdano commented that “Real Madrid does not pay with money; it pays with victory.” Wearing the Bernabéu jersey in the 9 shirt is seen as a clear signal of stardom to come.