Separated by 570 miles, united by one goal at Real Madrid

On January 4, in Real Madrid’s first game of 2026, Gonzalo announced himself with a hat trick against Real Betis at the Bernabéu. Just 21 days later, on January 25, Endrick did the same against Lyon at Metz, in only his second appearance for the French side. When they were competing for minutes in the same Real Madrid dressing room, neither managed to stand out. Apart, both have begun to build compelling cases in a contest whose prize is a place in the Real Madrid squad for 2026–27.

That is because Madrid are already working on plans for next season and are highly unlikely to repeat the experiment of carrying three center forwards, as they did this year. Mbappé is not a traditional No. 9, but he is Madrid’s No. 9 all the same, as his 37 goals so far underline. He is a player used to playing almost every minute, with little scope for rotation, which made having two understudies unnecessary. The casualty of that situation was Endrick, who played fewer than 100 minutes for Madrid in the first half of the season.

The player accepted that the best option was to leave, and Madrid agreed, arranging a loan move to Lyon until the end of the campaign. That guaranteed him regular minutes in Ligue 1 and cleared the path for Gonzalo at Madrid to play whenever Kylian and Arbeloa allow. In that context, both have taken off. The Spaniard scored five goals and provided two assists in January, while the Brazilian netted four times and added an assist of his own.

A Real Madrid duel 570 miles apart

A statistical head-to-head separated by 918 kilometers (570 miles), the distance between the Santiago Bernabéu and Lyon’s Groupama Stadium. The prize is a place in Madrid’s future, with the club leaning toward abandoning this season’s formula and backing one of them going forward. Last summer, everything appeared to favor Endrick, but circumstances – and form – have swung momentum toward Gonzalo.

The Brazilian was injured and missed the Club World Cup, where the Spaniard excelled and finished as top scorer. Endrick’s injury dragged into the early months of the season, doing little for his prospects, and Xabi Alonso consistently showed a greater preference for the academy product. In that context, Endrick sought a way out. On his side, however, is the significant investment Madrid made in him: $38 million paid to Palmeiras, plus another $27 million in add-ons, a potential total of $65 million that the club still believes strongly in.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.