Ancelotti Faces Criticism for Endrick Bench Snub in Brazil vs. Morocco Draw

Brazil's head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, is facing criticism after his decision to leave teenage forward Endrick on the bench during the entirety of Brazil’s 1-1 draw against Morocco on Saturday night. The match, which took place in New York, marked the opening of Brazil's 2026 World Cup campaign.

Morocco opened the scoring after 21 minutes with a goal from Ismael Saobari. Brazil equalized 10 minutes later through Vinicius Jr. Despite Morocco reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup, Brazil was considered by many to be the favorite heading into the encounter. The 1-1 draw was viewed as underwhelming by supporters of the most successful nation in World Cup history.

The focus of much of the criticism has been the non-selection of 19-year-old Endrick. The young talent had reportedly scored five goals and provided seven assists in 16 appearances while on loan with Lyon in Ligue 1. Fans have expressed concern that Endrick's limited playing time mirrors a situation he faced earlier under Ancelotti at Real Madrid.

When questioned about his decision regarding Endrick during a post-match press conference, Ancelotti stated, "I am not going to comment on individual players, I am here to talk about the team."

Online, supporters voiced their disagreement with Ancelotti's decision, with some noting that he had previously adopted a similar stance regarding individual players while managing Real Madrid.

According to Yahoo Sports Soccer, fans on social media platforms expressed sentiments that Endrick deserved more playing time and that his presence could have influenced the game's outcome.