Brazil has always been one of the countries that produce footballing talent in most abundance, and a number of Brazilian players have contributed to making FC Barcelona as great a club as it is today.
This relationship between Barcelona and Brazil is apparently going to continue in the coming years as the club is close to signing the up-and-coming Brazilian star Vitor Roque.
The club already has an agreement in principle with Atletico Paranaense to sign the youngster this summer, but his actual arrival at Camp Nou will depend on the club’s status regarding financial fair play and the wage bill.
While Roque is currently the hottest prospect in Brazil, another youngster caught the eyes of the biggest European clubs with his performances last season. This player is Endrick, who has already been signed by Real Madrid but remains on loan in Brazil with Palmeiras.
Being of a similar age group, playing in similar positions, and hailing from the same country naturally invites comparisons between the two players, and one such comparison has been undertaken by Mundo Deportivo.
At 18 years, Roque is a year older than Endrick, who will turn 17 this July. Endrick is only one centimeter taller than Roque, with the former standing at 173 cm and the latter at 172 cm.
However, one area where Roque squarely beats Endrick is the goalscoring department, as the Barcelona-linked player has scored 14 goals in 28 appearances, while also giving 5 assists. On the other hand, Endrick has scored only six goals and provided one assist in 27 appearances up to this point in the season.
Roque has played 13 games in the Copa Libertadores, scoring five goals and giving two assists. Endrick, meanwhile, has played only two games in this Premier South American tournament and scored a single goal.
On the international level, Roque has won a South American U-20 Championship with Brazil, which took place this year, and in which the player appeared eleven times, scoring six goals. Roque has also made his debut with the senior Brazil team. Endrick has only made four international appearances with the Brazil U-17 team, and scored five goals.
Thus, while Endrick is more than a year younger than Roque, the latter still stands head and shoulders above the former in his experience, goalscoring, and creativity. However, this competition between two players is far from over, and fans of both Real Madrid and Barcelona will be hoping to see a professional and healthy rivalry develop between these two youngsters when they start playing in Spain.
