Brazil icon Cafu claims Madrid's Endrick can become Selecao's "greatest hope"

Former Brazil full-back Marcos Evangelista de Moraes 'Cafu' believes Endrick, a future Real Madrid player, can become the country's "biggest hope" to win a World Cup again, along with Vinicius.
"He can become our greatest hope, our biggest star, the biggest idol of the last 10 years," said the captain of the 'Selecao' who won the World Cup in Korea and Japan 2002, in an interview published Tuesday by the newspaper 'O Estado de S. Paulo'.
Cafu lamented that since Neymar's breakthrough, now 32, "Brazil has been orphaned of idols".
"We didn't have idols in almost any club, nor unanimous figures in the national team like Endrick, although he is still a kid", he underlined.
The former Zaragoza, AC Milan and Roma defender believes that the Palmeiras striker's move to Real Madrid, which will take place next July when he turns 18, "will do him a lot of good" because there he will meet "established but young players" such as Rodrygo and Vinicius.
"He will have a person who will be very important for him: (Carlo) Ancelotti, who knows how to work with promising young players.
The two-time world champion also praised Vinicius Jr, about whom he said that "he is already making a difference in the Brazilian national team, without a doubt".
In his opinion, the Madrid winger "is no longer a promising young player, he is a reality", and when he doesn't play for the national team, his absence is felt. "He is a player in whom we have high hopes for everything he does," he said.
Asked if Neymar, who is currently recovering in Brazil from a torn cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee, can still be important for the national team, Cafu said only the Al-Hilal striker "can give that answer".
"He's a player with unquestionable technical quality, he's better than any other player, but he needs to be well, willing and committed," he said.