Real Madrid fans are eagerly awaiting the imminent arrival of young Brazilian sensation Endrick, who will be able to join the squad in 2024. The teenage sensation has gotten many salivating over his potential, having been compared to some of Brazilian football’s greatest over the last few months.
Endrick is an explosive, energetic forward who has already achieved many impressive things in his career. He’s become a member of Brazil’s senior team and already made 60 appearances for Palmeiras, scoring 17 goals as well as helping them win the Brasileiro title. He is the complete package in that no.9 role, boasting impressive finishing skills and trickery that has left defenders in tatters.
As is the case of blooming young sportspersons all over the world, the major manufacturers try to associate the players with themselves before their boom period. Nowadays, young footballers are often offered lucrative sponsorship deals by these major manufacturers so that they can be marketed as members of their brands for a long time.
Endrick was a hot topic among the major football brands and many of them tried their very best to convince him to be their athlete. However, it appears that New Balance has won the race to become Endrick’s newest sponsor.
This comes after his previous contract with Nike had expired earlier this year. Endrick had actually discreetly teased his association with New Balance ahead of Brazil’s chaotic clash against Argentina in November, showing off the Gold New Balance boots in training.
These boots have been created specifically for him and New Balance’s impressive designs have helped them win the battle to sponsor Endrick over the likes of Nike, Adidas or Puma. They have also been able to offer him a much prominent position in terms of marketing, having done so to rope in the likes of Bukayo Saka and Harvey Elliott to sign with them in the past too.
Endrick voiced his delight at signing with New Balance before officially completing his move to Real Madrid, as he said: “Joining the New Balance family is a tremendous honor, aligning with a brand that shares the same fundamental values that I uphold both on and off the field. As I persist in the pursuit of excellence in my professional journey, I am confident that New Balance will be there to support every stride.”
The Brazilian teenage sensation is set to become the ‘face’ of New Balance with this deal. This will give him rights to choose the design, colours and customization to any merchandise around his own line of products. Moreover, New Balance could even release a cheaper secondary line dedicated towards cheaper versions of products approved by him, so that everyone can afford it.
In doing so, Endrick will become one of the rare sports celebrities to have their own line of brand with major brands, similar to Michael Jordan’s association with Nike.
There aren’t exactly any leaked details over how much New Balance will be paying Endrick to be their athlete. However, the Brazilian star apparently rejected longer contracts from the likes of Nike and Adidas, who also offered him more money.
He has reportedly signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with New Balance that will expire in 2028, after which he’ll re-evaluate whether to stay with them or move on to another brand.
This is a smart move on behalf of Endrick, who is likely to be a much bigger deal in 2028 is able to maintain his rapid development as a top-quality striker, and he can fetch an extremely lucrative sponsorship deal with any brand at that period if he wants to.
Another reason why Endrick accepted this offer was because of the social development causes that were proposed by New Balance. As part of this partnership, there is an idea for Endrick to visit underdeveloped communities, help in renovating football pitches and support other sports projects for a good cause.
A lot of fans have been surprised to see the teenager sign with New Balance over the likes of Nike or Adidas. However, some have also remarked how he might be going the Michael Jordan path in signing with a brand where he will be treated as THE star rather than a brand where he’ll be another number.
Endrick’s association with the American brand means he will be donning their boots for the years to come. This can only mean good things for New Balance, who can now expect their sales numbers to go up among Brazilian and Real Madrid fans if Endrick can continue his good work at the very top.
