In an international friendly on Saturday, it was a late goal from 17-year-old sensation Endrick that proved to be the difference between England and Brazil at Wembley Stadium.
The emerging talent, destined for Real Madrid, emerged from the bench to clinch both the winning goal and the spotlight, much to the delight of the sizable Brazilian supporters in attendance.
Gareth Southgate’s squad struggled to find inspiration from the outset and ultimately suffered a deserved defeat, providing them with ample reflection ahead of Euro 2024.
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The match began with Rodrygo carving out the first goal-scoring opportunity, driving fearlessly at England’s defense from deep, only to see his long-range effort comfortably saved by Jordan Pickford.
Brazil continued to threaten with pace, as Lucas Paqueta’s deft chip found Vinicius Junior, leaving Pickford indecisive on whether to advance or hold his ground, ultimately relying on Kyle Walker to clear off the line.
England had their moments too, notably when Jude Bellingham’s perseverance led to a cross for Conor Gallagher, who found Ollie Watkins in the box, but the striker’s half-volley attempt went over the bar.
A frantic sequence in England’s penalty area saw Paqueta strike the post with a powerful left-footed shot before Harry Maguire’s errant pass was intercepted by Raphinha, his subsequent effort narrowly missing the target after Pickford’s intervention.
The intensity persisted after halftime, with Paqueta nearly breaking the deadlock with a curling first-time effort that narrowly missed the target.
With just ten minutes remaining, Brazil finally found the breakthrough. Vinicius exploited space behind England’s defense to latch onto Andreas Pereira’s through ball, forcing a save from Pickford, only for Endrick to pounce on the rebound, etching his name into history as the youngest-ever scorer at Wembley Stadium.
Endrick came close to doubling his tally with the final kick of the game, but Pickford denied him with a well-timed low save, securing Brazil’s narrow victory.