Endrick reminded Carlo Ancelotti of the player he was for the Brazilian National Team before the uncertainty, as his electric performance against Croatia made Brazilians realize that he could be worth the World Cup slot ahead of Neymar, but his own slot shouldn't have been up for contention anyway.

The Real Madrid loanee enjoyed another stellar outing with the Brazil national team as he helped them conquer a stubborn Croatian team, needing just 14 minutes to prove his worth to Carlo Ancelotti ahead of the final World Cup selection.

There was uproar that Endrick was selected in the place of Neymar Jr. when the March international games squad was announced, but at the end of it, no one would want to question the coach or the player.

Just as he had always been for the national team, the 19-year-old stepped onto the pitch to bail out a struggling Brazil against Croatia in the early hours of Wednesday, winning a penalty to restore the lead before setting up another goal to seal the win.

Even though Endrick has struggled for minutes since his move to Europe with Real Madrid, barely has any striker put on better performances for Brazil, and with his move to France to join Olympic Lyon in the winter, many have been reminded of his qualities.

Endrick: The best striker for Brazil

Since making his debut against Colombia in November 2023, where he became the youngest player to feature for the Seleção in a competitive match and the fourth youngest debutant, Endrick has been directly involved in four goals despite starting twice in 15 caps.

Despite this and his young age, Endrick has more goals than the trio of Matheus Cunha, Joao Pedro, and Igor Thiago combined, while he is evidently a better fit for their system than the others.

When he broke onto the scene for the national team with his first goal, which made him their youngest goalscorer in a senior match at Wembley as well as the country's youngest goalscorer in the 21st century.

A few days after surpassing that record previously owned by Neymar Jr. and then Ronaldinho, he scored again against Spain in the Bernabéu, becoming the youngest to score in back-to-back Brazil games since Pelé.

His progress with the national team has been stalled by the move to Real Madrid, but now that he plays for a different team, where he is given more playtime, his confidence looks to be back, and so is his claim to the starting spot.

Has anyone been better?

At club level? Yes. The duo of Joao Pedro and Igor Thiago have been in scintillating form for their respective clubs this season, with the latter even setting a new record for most Premier League goals by a Brazilian in a single campaign.

Joao Pedro has been on another level since his move to Chelsea during the FIFA Club World Cup in the summer. In addition to his impact that landed Chelsea the title, he has been directly involved in 27 goals in 46 games for the club.

Not forgetting Matheus Cunha, who also sealed a big-money move to Manchester United from Wolves. Building on his form for his former club, he has seven goals in the ongoing Premier League season, although he plays more out wide.

Nevertheless, despite their impressive form, the duo, with the exception of Igor Thiago, have failed to make a telling impact with Brazil.

In 21 games for the Selecao, Cunha's only goal came as a consolation in a 4-1 defeat to Argentina in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, while Joao Pedro is yet to get off the mark despite already winning eight caps.

For Igor Thiago, despite his impressive form for Brentford and his one goal in two games for Carlo Ancelotti's team, he is but a newcomer, and can not be trusted after playing less than an hour of football with the team.

It is clear that Endrick has been of better service for the national team, and the time may be right to finally grant him the license, because he stands out among rivals, and presents himself as one who wants it more.

The hype surrounding him may have died down, but the talent is still there, and the hunger can't be any greater. His performance in the win over Croatia is a glimmer of what he can add to the team if Carlo Ancelotti decides to show more trust.

The statement has been made and despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, Endrick can be the star to lead Brazil's attack, and for a country that benefited from the brilliance of Pelé, age should be no concern.

His understanding with Vinicius Junior given their time together in Real Madrid will also be of benefit for the team, while his history with Palmeiras also made him a proud representation of Brazilian football.