Wonderkids Kobbie Mainoo, Lamine Yamal, and Endrick have stolen the show
For years now Ronaldo and Messi have been the best of the best in world football for almost 20 years, leaving many fans to wonder what will happen when they retire. But with the emergence of young stars such as Mbappe and Haaland, the torch seems to be being passed to the next generation.
Even more interesting, however, are the younger players who are making their names in the game.
At Tuesday’s friendly match between Spain and Brazil at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, the focus was on two teenagers, Lamine Yamal (20) and Eric Endrick (19).
The rise of football’s wonderkids
Kobbie Mainoo
At Wembley Stadium, Kobbie Mainoo, of Manchester United, made his debut for England as they took on Belgium.
Despite only making his Premier League debut in late November, Mainoo’s meteoric rise has been remarkable.
He has since established himself as a regular starter for Manchester United, and has now secured a place in the starting line-up for his country.
Kobbie Mainoo has earned his first senior start and Player of the Match
74 Minutes Played
100% tackles won
89% pass accuracy
65 touches
42/47 passes completed
5 duels won
4 ball recoveries
1 interceptions
First Senior start, first Player of the Match for Kobbie Mainoo.
74 Minutes Played
100% tackles won
89% pass accuracy
65 touches
42/47 passes completed
5 duels won
4 ball recoveries
1 interceptionspic.twitter.com/LJabqYtjcZ— Manchester United Die Hard Fans (@DieHardUtdFans) March 27, 2024
The first appearance for England against Brazil, Kobbie was superbly composed, completing all 20 passes in a comfortable 15-minute performance.
He was even better against Belgium, playing a key role in the equaliser that saw England draw 1-1, following an early goal from Yri Tielemans.
Carrying the ball in the middle of the park, Kobbie was quick to change direction and evade his opponents, launching a key attack.
Jude Bellingham heaps praise on Mainoo
After making his full England debut on Tuesday evening, Jude Bellingham paid tribute to the teenage sensation, who set up his countryman for the equalising goal as England drew 2-2 with Belgium.
Bellingham was full of praise for Mainoo, who he described as a “phenomenal player” in a post-match interview.
Gary Lineker praised the Manchester United academy graduate on his X, formerly Twitter, account:
“A superb first start by Kobbie Mainoo for England. He’s not only played himself into the squad for the Euros but quite possibly the starting lineup. Well played, young man.”
A superb first start by Kobbie Mainoo for @England. He’s not only played himself into the squad for the Euros but quite possibly the starting lineup. Well played young man. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) March 26, 2024
Lamine Yamal
During the international break, there was a lot of speculation about how old Yamal was, which caused a lot of controversy among fans.
Despite this, the Barcelona forward scored twice in Spain’s 3-3 friendly draw against Brazil on Tuesday, according to SB Nation.
In just his sixth appearance for La Roja, the 22-year-old was at it again from the start, causing havoc on Brazil’s defence.
He won one penalty, which Rodri converted expertly, and then played a brilliant pass in the last minute of the game that led to another penalty that Beraldo missed.
Throughout the game, he was at his brilliant best, showing exactly why Barcelona and Spain have so much faith in one of the most exciting young talents in recent times.
With his current trajectory, the sky is undoubtedly the limit for him.
Lamine Yamal vs Brazil. Star boy really cooked them. What a player ❤️pic.twitter.com/po6L1AWMO9
— Kuame Oliver (@KuameOliver_) March 27, 2024
Endrick
Brazil has produced some of the world’s greatest teenage footballers, including Pele, Ronaldo, and Nazario, as well as Neymar and Vinicius Junior.
What more can be said about this prodigy?
He scored his first goal in the second half of the first two friendlies against Brazil this month. If he keeps this up, La Liga will be watching.
Palmeiras forward Yamal, on the other hand, was not to be outdone. The young Brazilian talent made his debut at the half-hour mark, leaving a lasting impression on his future home ground, as MARCA reported.
Even though he will be joining Real Madrid in the near future, Endrick had already made his mark on the Santiago Bernabao with a wonderful volley to open the second half.
He followed up his heroics at Wembley, where he scored a late winner for Brazil after coming on as a substitute against England at 17 years old.
ENDRICK’S FIRST GOAL AT THE BERNABÉU
The star boypic.twitter.com/RJ5GvnNRwy— Out Of Context Real Madrid (@Bellingham__Hub) March 27, 2024
