Brazilian sensation Endrick made his Real Madrid debut in a 1-0 friendly loss to AC Milan on Wednesday.
The match, held at Chicago’s Soldier Field with 61,568 spectators, showcased the 18-year-old forward despite the absence of several of Madrid’s star players, including Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo.
Endrick managed only one shot on goal during his 45-minute appearance before being substituted at halftime as part of a larger rotation strategy by manager Carlo Ancelotti, who praised Endrick’s abilities.
“Endrick is someone who has something truly special,” Ancelotti said. “He’s very fast, very dangerous in tight spaces, able to turn with speed in little space, very agile in getting himself free, and all these qualities make him a great talent. It’s rare to see a player with these kinds of characteristics.”
Nigeria winger Samuel Chukwueze scored the deciding goal for Milan in the 56th minute, securing Portuguese manager Paulo Fonseca’s side its second victory in two pre-season matches.
“We competed, we fought, we did some good things. The first game of the pre-season with a lot of youngsters, the important thing was to compete, which we did for the whole game. There were some good moments and others we could improve on, but that’s normal,” Ancelotti added.
Madrid’s next step in the United States tour is an edition of ‘El Clasico’ against Barcelona in New Jersey on Saturday.