"Time will show who this boy might become," Dorival Junior said after seeing Endrick score his first senior goal for Brazil in a friendly against England in March. "If he keeps up the attitude he has shown up to now, he will be a very important name in Brazilian football and world football."
Endrick found the net again in his next international outing against Spain, and two months later, he was named in Dorival's final 26-man squad for the Copa America. Very few players are thrust onto the biggest stage so young, but Endrick is no ordinary 17-year-old.
It has been reported that he recorded 165 goals across 167 games for Palmeiras as an academy player, during which time he was dubbed 'the next Pele'. And in December 2022, Real Madrid bought into the hype, striking a €60 million (£51m/$65m) deal for the teenager after seeing off competition from just about every other top club in Europe.
Later this month, Endrick will see his "dream come true" when he's finally unveiled as a Madrid player. But the excitement surrounding his arrival among the club's fanbase has dissipated somewhat, because his major tournament bow for Brazil didn't go according to plan.
It's now clear that Endrick will need a lot more time to become a "very important name" at the highest level. Madrid are not getting a player who is ready to deliver under the bright lights at Santiago Bernabeu right away, and patience will be needed as he embarks on the biggest challenge of his fledgling career so far.