Brazilian forward Endrick Felipe Moreira de Sousa ended his scoring and appearance drought for Real Madrid on Wednesday (14) during a 4-3 comeback victory against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in Italy. Coming into the match just twenty-four hours after head coach José Mourinho publicly ruled out loaning the 20-year-old player, the striker helped the Spanish club secure all three points in the second round of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase.
Starting the European fixture on the substitutes’ bench, the number 9 entered the pitch in the 59th minute to replace fellow Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior. At the moment of the substitution, the Italian hosts, managed by head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, had just extended their advantage to 3-1. Earlier in the opening half, Marten de Roon put Roma ahead before Kylian Mbappé equalized for the visitors, while Donyell Malen struck twice early in the second half to give the home side a two-goal cushion.
The turnaround for the Spanish team began to take shape in the 83rd minute with direct involvement from Endrick. Following a short corner kick routine, the young striker directed a header toward the net that goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini parried, allowing forward Carlos Espí to convert the rebound and cut the deficit to 3-2. Just two minutes later, in the 85th minute, Endrick rose at the near post to meet a corner delivered from the right wing and powered a firm header past the keeper to level the score at 3-3. In the 90th minute, defender Antonio Rüdiger connected with a cross from Arda Güler on another corner kick to seal the 4-3 victory.
Public stance from the coaching staff blocks winter transfer window exit
The decisive performance in the Italian capital took place immediately after the club settled questions regarding the striker’s schedule for the January 2027 transfer window. Because of his limited playing time at the beginning of the 2026/27 campaign, European clubs including Roma, AC Milan, Aston Villa, and Manchester United had expressed interest in signing the athlete on a temporary deal. On Tuesday (13), however, José Mourinho announced that the Brazilian forward will remain on the roster in Madrid.
“Forget it, forget the interested clubs. They had better sit down to wait, otherwise they will get tired. He is a player I adore, who has incredible potential. And he is very important to us. Whoever is interested in him will have to fight hard with me, because I believe he does not need to be loaned out and will have the greatest success here,” stated the Real Madrid head coach.
According to the Portuguese manager, the forward’s absence from the pitch in recent weeks stemmed from a physical setback combined with specific tactical circumstances during matches. In a previous fixture against Villarreal, the coaching staff had prepared to send Endrick onto the field, but a goal scored by the team and a red card shown to Vinícius Júnior
forced a change in the planned substitutions.“After the preseason, he had an injury that kept him out for more than a month at the start of the season. And then, it is true, yes, I have spoken with him myself, that after recovering, the opportunity still had not arisen…,” said the Portuguese manager.
French league loan spell and current European standings
Prior to the start of the current campaign, Real Madrid sent Endrick on loan to French club Olympique Lyonnais for the second half of the 2025/26 season. During his time in France, the attacker played 21 official matches and scored 8 goals. That output earned him a call-up to the Brazilian national team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
With the three points collected in Rome on October 14, 2026, the Spanish club maintained a 100% winning record through two rounds of the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase. The road triumph over Roma builds on the team’s opening-round campaign, when Madrid defeated Inter Milan by a score of 2-1.
Key dates for the Brazilian forward in the 2026 season
The sequence of events leading up to the comeback at the Stadio Olimpico included coaching changes, an extended gap between appearances in domestic competition, and transfer market decisions involving the young forward. Below are the main milestones recorded by the player since the middle of the year:
- June 2026: José Mourinho takes over as head coach of Real Madrid and persuades Endrick to stay with the Spanish club during the European summer window, halting advanced loan talks with Roma.
- September 15, 2026: The striker enters the pitch in the 86th minute against Elche in the Spanish league (LaLiga), marking his final appearance before the European trip to Italy.
- October 13, 2026: Manager José Mourinho publicly rules out any chance of loaning the player out when the transfer market reopens in January 2027.
- October 14, 2026: Coming off the bench in the 59th minute at the Stadio Olimpico, Endrick sets up the second goal and scores a header in the 85th minute to help Real Madrid defeat Roma 4-3.