Romário tore into Endrick after Brazil’s 2026 World Cup exit

Brazil’s national team crashed out in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup against Norway, and the 2-1 defeat opened a wave of criticism. The most mentioned name was Endrick’s. And the one who grabbed the microphone without ceremony was Romário, 1994 world champion and one of the greatest goalscorers in the country’s history.

The miss that stuck in the memory

Brazil were five-time champions and arrived at the tournament carrying the weight of a tradition that does not accept mediocrity. The early elimination, therefore, hurt. At the centre of the criticism, Endrick – the young Real Madrid striker – missed a chance that could have changed the course of the match. The wasted goal became the symbol of a night the fans would rather forget.

The team did not arrive in the best possible shape for the tournament. But the history of the Seleção demands more than explanations. It demands goals.

Romário unfiltered

The former centre-forward spoke openly about Endrick without sparing him. He started with praise, but soon flipped the switch. “I like Endrick and he will bring us a lot of joy, but against Norway he was horrible,” said the Rio idol.

Then came the passage that went viral instantly. “Then people say: ‘Oh, but he’s young’. Who cares. He has to score that damn goal. Young, middle-aged, old, it doesn’t matter,” fired Romário, visibly out of patience for excuses.

The message was direct. At a World Cup, age is no mitigating factor. It never was.

The weight of being Brazil

Five world titles build an expectation that no other national team carries in the same way. Norway are not favourites in any historical scenario – and even so they sent Brazil home. That alone is enough to spark the debate about the current level of the national game.

Endrick is 18, plays for the most successful club in the world and carries a responsibility that is disproportionate for someone of his generation. That does not exempt him from criticism. But nor does it erase the fact that the defeat was collective – and that a single missed goal does not by itself explain the failure of an entire team at a World Cup.