Brazilian Prodigy Endrick Looks to Make Major Tournament Debut at Copa America

Brazil's Endrick, right, celebrates with Rodrygo after scoring his side's second goal during a friendly soccer match between Spain and Brazil at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. (AP)
Brazil's Endrick, right, celebrates with Rodrygo after scoring his side's second goal during a friendly soccer match between Spain and Brazil at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. (AP)
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Brazilian Prodigy Endrick Looks to Make Major Tournament Debut at Copa America

Brazil's Endrick, right, celebrates with Rodrygo after scoring his side's second goal during a friendly soccer match between Spain and Brazil at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. (AP)
Brazil's Endrick, right, celebrates with Rodrygo after scoring his side's second goal during a friendly soccer match between Spain and Brazil at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. (AP)

Brazil's teenage prodigy Endrick will be hoping to make his first appearance for the national team at a major tournament when his country take on Costa Rica in their Copa America opener on Monday.

The 17-year-old striker, who joined Real Madrid from Palmeiras, knows he has a long way to go to break into the Brazilian starting line-up in a squad that includes Raphinha, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo in attack.

"Only God knows (when I will start). I am very grateful to have Abel (Ferreira) as a coach, he knew when to play me. Everything is up to God and Professor Dorival Jr. He is a spectacular coach. He is doing what is best for the Brazilian team," Endrick told a press conference on Friday.

Endrick, who in March became the youngest player to score in an international match at Wembley when he gave Brazil a 1-0 win over England, made his mark in the other warm-up fixtures ahead of Copa America with a goal in a 3-2 victory over Mexico, having also scored against Spain.

The ruthless competitor added that, despite his youth, there was no pressure on him on the pitch because of his confidence against the opponents.

"I have always been very precocious in my life and since I became a professional I have played against opponents who have always teased me, insulted me, talked about my family, my girlfriend," he said.

"But I got used to it quickly because I was 16. I'm calm and I hope I can help, I think it's right, in football you have to destabilize the other player. It's been like that since I arrived, so I've adapted and I'm very confident that I can help the team."

Brazil will also face Paraguay and Colombia in Group D.



France Into Euro 2024 Quarterfinals after Late Goal Beats Belgium 1-0

France's forward #12 Randal Kolo Muani (C) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 football match between France and Belgium at the Duesseldorf Arena in Duesseldorf on July 1, 2024. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)
France's forward #12 Randal Kolo Muani (C) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 football match between France and Belgium at the Duesseldorf Arena in Duesseldorf on July 1, 2024. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)
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France Into Euro 2024 Quarterfinals after Late Goal Beats Belgium 1-0

France's forward #12 Randal Kolo Muani (C) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 football match between France and Belgium at the Duesseldorf Arena in Duesseldorf on July 1, 2024. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)
France's forward #12 Randal Kolo Muani (C) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 football match between France and Belgium at the Duesseldorf Arena in Duesseldorf on July 1, 2024. (Photo by OZAN KOSE / AFP)

Kylian Mbappé and France advanced to the European Championship quarterfinals after Randal Kolo Muani's deflected shot secured a 1-0 win over Belgium on Monday.

Kolo Muani sent in an effort in the 85th minute that looped up off Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen and over stranded goalkeeper Koen Casteels.
France will play Portugal or Slovenia in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Mbappé, again wearing a mask to protect his broken nose, had five shots but none were on target in a low-quality match between the teams ranked No. 2 (France) and No. 3 (Belgium) who largely canceled each other out.

The French won ugly but, for coach Didier Deschamps, it was “beautiful.”
“We played a tough game against a great team, it was close,” he said. "Although I think we had a lot more possession and a lot more chances. Kolo is Kolo!
“We have to savor it. We mustn’t underestimate this achievement. We’re in the quarterfinals.”
Add a fortunate deflected shot to an own-goal and a penalty — scored by Mbappé — as France's only goals at Euro 2024.
That will do little to stop the growing dissent of France's fans who feel more can come from a talented bunch of players headlined by Mbappé, playing on the day he officially became a Real Madrid player.
Mbappé will be playing in his first ever quarterfinal at the European Championship, with France having lost on a penalty shootout to Switzerland in the last 16 at the last tournament in 2021.
It was also a nice moment for Kolo Muani, whose last big moment at a major tournament came when he bore down on goal in the last seconds of extra time in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina. His shot was saved by Emi Martinez, when a goal would surely have won the title for France.
“I was lucky enough to get my shot on target,” The Associated Press quoted him as saying of his decisive intervention against Belgium. “It was blocked but it went in. We’re very, very happy and very, very proud.”
Belgium heads home after a fairly miserable Euro 2024, during which the players were jeered loudly by their own fans following a 0-0 draw with Ukraine at the end of the group stage.
Belgium captain Kevin De Bruyne was deployed as a deep-lying midfielder in a bid to help control the game, with the Belgians intent on not leaving it open for France's quick attackers like Mbappé.
The tactic would have been a masterstroke had Belgium won.
It didn’t, and more criticism is likely heading coach Domenico Tedesco's way.