Trotting up the stairs, and out of the tunnel into São Paulo’s Allianz Parque, the interplay of light and shadow looks like the collective movement of 43,000 fans. As one exits the hollow in the earth and comes to eye level with the turf, three shades of green rise toward the piece of sky above; it is Palmeiras green, and 16-year-old Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa is wearing it.
He is carrying three generations of his own history, and the aspirations of millions of fans who want him to score beautiful goals they can savour in the Parque and then in the comfort of their drawing room. To be standing where he stands today is every footballer’s fantasy. He has entered a world we can see, but cannot enter.
It took talent, courage, focus, family, skill, will, grit, art, and hours of training to reach where he has. Also, the “blessings of God”, which Endrick acknowledges in almost every post of his on Instagram. On September 18, ahead of his Palmeiras senior team debut, he posted pictures of him in the team jacket and the jersey. He wrote: “God just keeps blessing me. Another dream come true! God is unexplainable!”
Coach Abel Ferreira did not give Endrick, who was wearing # 16 instead of his customary # 9, play time, but it is only a matter of time before he yields to the temptation.
In this moment he is everyone’s hero. Among the anticipation and the excitement, as the cheers of the fans hit the players in the face before the whistle blows, hangs one question: Is he ready for battle of the big boys?
Many believe he is. “He scored five goals in six games, and friends were raving about this big talent coming through,” Palmeiras fan Gustave Morrison from New Zealand recalled how he was introduced to an exceptional talent.
This story is from the October 16, 2022 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 16, 2022 edition of THE WEEK India.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Between hospital and home
Transitional care centres can add a lot to India's health care system
EFFORT VS EFFECT
The government's attempts to ensure quality drugs is evident, but how well new policies can be monitored on the ground remains to be seen
A way to let go of fear
Accepting the use of adult diapers is a journey with various stages-denial, concealment, rejection and reluctance
Mandeeps & a miracle
Two strangers, one deadly disease and an act of kindness. How Mandeep Mann saved Mandeep Singh, an acute leukaemia patient, by donating his stem cells
The A, B, C of cosmetic surgery
Between eight to 10 lakh cosmetic surgeries happen in India every year. Who is an ideal candidate, and what are the risks and results you can expect?
Vaccines and meningitis
In sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, and encompassing the northern part of Nigeria, there exists a region known as the African Meningitis Belt (AMB).
Celebrating diversity and inclusivity
As Indians battle it out in our nation's 18th general election, it is again time for voters to reflect on the \"Idea of India\"-or rather, on two duelling ideas of India that are now before us and between which the nation must choose at the ballot box.
Defendant: an Hermès handbag
When Hermès was hit with a class-action lawsuit last month for \"antitrust\" activities, it didn't see it coming. Most of the luxury world has all eyes on this suit, filed by two interested consumers who claim they were denied a purchase, and whether it would go to trial.
A legacy, bound
Amal Allana's biography of her father, Ebrahim Alkazi, is as much personal as it is historical
Cutting-edge chronicle
In his new book, Salman Rushdie's pen is mightier than the knife
