Endrick’s talent has no limits as he dazzles in France

The Endrick phenomenon is unstoppable in France. The striker has imposed himself at Olympique Lyonnais and, in just three matches, has become the undisputed leader of a team dreaming of ending a 13-year title drought. In Metz, he scored the first hat-trick of his career and delivered a sensational performance that has left French football in awe of the player on loan from Real Madrid. The expectations surrounding his signing have not only been met, but surpassed, and the press has already surrendered to the talent of the Brazilian prodigy.

The numbers speak for themselves. In three matches, Endrick has recorded five goal involvements, four goals and one assist, underlining his world-class potential. On his debut against Lille in the Coupe de France round of 32, he needed just 25 minutes to score. Against Brest last week, he provided an assist for Abner and was a constant threat down the flank. In his third official appearance for Lyon, at the Stade Saint-Symphorien in Lorraine, he was simply unstoppable.

His three goals confirmed that Lyon have every reason to dream until the end of the season. The partnership is working perfectly. The Brazilian international feels at ease, plays with complete freedom, and is the focal point of every attacking move. Deployed on the right wing to exploit his power and thunderous shot, Fonseca has found the ideal role to get the best out of him and create the conditions for him to rediscover his finest form.

Endrick’s start has been sensational. At 19 years and 188 days, he became the youngest player to score a hat-trick for Olympique Lyonnais, surpassing Bernard Lacombe’s record of 19 years and 192 days. Another club legend, and his childhood idol, Karim Benzema, who influenced his decision to move to France, sits fourth on the list, having scored his first professional hat-trick at 19 years and 270 days. It is a remarkable achievement.

Only eight players in France have scored three goals in a single match at a younger age than Endrick. Ménez (17 years and 360 days), Mbappé (18 and 53), Roussey (18 and 239), Stopyra (18 and 277), Dembélé (18 and 296), Lech (19 and 40), and Paille (19 and 58) all reached that milestone earlier. These figures underline the scale of his impact and confirm that his arrival in French football has become a national phenomenon. At 19, Endrick has also become the youngest Brazilian to score a hat-trick in European football, overtaking Ronaldo Nazário, who achieved the feat at 21 in 1997 with Inter Milan.

The French press, traditionally sceptical of foreign signings, has already embraced ‘Boby’. L’Équipe awarded him a 9 for his hat-trick against Metz and described his display as ‘brilliant’: “For his third game with OL, Endrick has raised his tally to four goals and one assist. Proof that with great players, there’s no need for adaptation time.” RMC Sport labelled him “dazzling”, while Le Progrès, the newspaper covering the Rhône region, praised what it called a “masterful performance” in every aspect of the game.

The man most responsible for bringing Endrick to Lyon is Paulo Fonseca. A ten-minute phone call in November was enough to convince the striker to join the club. “Endrick is a different kind of player. He’s scored three goals. We can’t forget that he’s barely played for a year. He needs to improve physically. I hope he progresses and is decisive, like he was today,” Fonseca said after the 5-2 win over Metz. The Portuguese coach is delighted with his impact in a challenging season, after losing his two starting strikers, Mikautadze and Lacazette, in the summer, followed by injuries to Nuamah and Fofana later in the campaign.

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Endrick has arrived in France not to observe, but to dominate. Until June, he will remain an Olympique Lyonnais player, a club he has already won over in just three matches. He came to win titles, as he stated at his presentation. Lyon are leading their Europa League group and remain alive in the Coupe de France, where they are among the favourites to lift the trophy in May. If nothing derails his progress, and if the Brazilian maintains this scoring rhythm, Fonseca’s side has every reason to believe it can finally end a 13-year wait for silverware.

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