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Endrick’s time in Ligue 1 has come to an end as Olympique Lyonnais officially bid farewell to the Brazilian teenager.
Despite his outstanding performances that left the French public wanting more, the Real Madrid loanee returns to the Santiago Bernabéu for the next chapter of his career, as confirmed by Lyon’s transfer manager over the weekend.
The head of recruitment confirms his departure
Lyon’s head of recruitment Matthieu Louis-Jean has confirmed that Endrick will return to Madrid this summer, ending his impressive five-month spell in France.
The 19-year-old striker joined Lyon in January on a short-term basis with no option to buy, and while the club were delighted with his impact, the financial and contractual reality means a permanent or extended stay is off the table.
Speaking to the press after Lyon’s final game of the season, a 4-0 home loss to Lens, Louis-Jean addressed the possibility of keeping the Brazilian star.
“Yes, we would like to retain him, but at the moment it seems very unlikely,” he admitted.
“It makes you want to extend his contract. Is it possible? That’s another matter. It’s been a very good loan for Endrick; he’s had a great time here. He’s been surprising, amazing in the way he’s settled in. He already speaks French, which is incredible. He’s a good lad.”
An immediate impact in Ligue 1
Endrick’s statistics during his brief stay in the Rhône region speak for themselves.
In just 21 appearances in all competitions, the Brazilian teenager racked up eight goals and eight assists, proving to be one of the most productive players in the league since the start of the year.
Louis-Jean praised the youngster’s contribution to the team’s advancement at the end of the season.
“He gave us a lot in a very short time. He delivered what we expected from him. He is a young player who will improve and I hope he goes to the World Cup and has a great World Cup.”
It was a good time together. Now, will it continue? Today it’s over, yes.”
Personal feelings and faith
The player himself had previously expressed his happiness at the Groupama Stadium, leaving the door ajar for a possible return if circumstances allowed it.
After a recent victory over Rennes, Endrick spoke calmly about his future, putting his career in the hands of a higher power.
His connection with the Lyon fans was evident during his last substitution against Lens, where he was received with a standing ovation.
Reflecting on his time in France, Endrick previously stated: “I take it day by day. Today was great, I’m very happy about that. I’m very happy here, there’s a good team, good staff, good teammates.”
“I’m very well, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m always with God. Whatever God tells me, I’ll do it. If I have to stay in Lyon, go to Madrid, I’ll do what God tells me. I’ll wait to see what God tells me. But I’m very happy.”
Lyon’s Champions League preparations
With Endrick’s departure, Lyon must now turn their attention to a busy summer and the challenge of the Champions League qualifying rounds.
After achieving fourth place in Ligue 1, the club faces an early start to the next campaign.
Louis-Jean confirmed that the recruitment team is already working together with coach Paulo Fonseca to identify replacements and strengthen the squad for the European phase.
“We are anticipating it, we have already started working,” he said. “It’s going to be complicated because the high-level matches are approaching very quickly. We have already started working with Paulo (Fonseca) and Benjamín (Charier) on players who could join us.
‘We are going to digest this season, which has been very good for us; “We are proud of what we have achieved.”
FIFA World Cup 2026: How to watch
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 matches of the tournament will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34) and each match will be streamed live and on-demand on both FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A record 40 matches, more than a third of the tournament, will be broadcast in prime time on FOX (21) and FS1 (19).
The June 11 opening match between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will be streamed for free on Tubi, as will the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).
