Vinicius 2.0 is trying to win favor with Carlo Ancelotti in France

Real Madrid and their young gem Endrick are standing at a crossroads. The boy who was introduced a year ago as the future Vinicius 2.0 and one of the members of Brazil’s whole line of galactic youngsters is now looking for air. And that air could be found in France, among the Lions of Lyon.

Olympique Lyonnais has entered talks with Real and put forward an offer that sounds like a lifeline: a loan from January to June 2026. The plan is clear, ambitious, and clever enough to spark the imagination of the 19-year-old forward.

Reportedly, Endrick likes the idea. Ligue 1 as a laboratory to regain confidence, and playing time as essential as bread. In Madrid, the story has turned bitter. The arrival of Xabi Alonso has closed doors for him.

The only outfield player without a single minute this season, alongside only Ferland Mendy. That speaks volumes. In recent weeks, a loan had already been speculated as the logical, healthy move. Still, Endrick had conditions.

He wanted the chance to play on the international stage, he wanted strong competition. Lyon offers him that: Europa League football, a fight for a solid league finish (for the top four), and a project that sees him as a main figure, not a bench tourist.

Endrick’s goal is clear: the 2026 World Cup. At the Mundial, he wants to be part of the Brazilian squad. For Carlo Ancelotti to even pick up the phone, Endrick has to be playing. A thigh injury had already knocked him out of contention for the June call-up, he missed September as well, and in October he was fit but forgotten. The phone didn’t ring. Former coach Dorival Junior had comforted him last season, talking about the adaptation process, the biggest club in the world, patience… All true, but in football, time always runs faster than ambition can bear.

The French hope is obvious. If in Brazil he could be the hero of teenage chaos and the best product of the local talent factory, why not do the same at a club desperate for a star? Lyon has been more of a confidence clinic than a title hunter in recent years, but maybe that makes it perfect. One side offers an important role across multiple fronts, the other visibility. Real Madrid sees development. Everyone happy.

Why is Endrick still on the bench?

At Valdebebas, they believe something is burning inside Endrick that just needs to be sparked. Spanish media note that Luka Jovic and Martin Odegaard were warnings, while Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham are definitions of patience. Real will not hastily write off a player who arrived from Brazil as a generational phenomenon.

The ball is in Endrick’s court. Will he remain an invisible gem on the European champion’s bench, or will he finally start biting the turf in France?