Brazil have not only been lighting up stadiums with their dazzling football at the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, but they have also been dominating conversations on social media.
The Samba Boys have won two of their three group-stage matches and have already secured a place in the knockout rounds. Vinicius Junior's impressive tally of four goals and one assist, along with Neymar's emotional return to international football after nearly three years, have been among the team's biggest talking points.
However, neither Vinicius' exploits in front of goal nor Neymar's tearful comeback has generated as much online buzz as the reported rift between head coach Carlo Ancelotti and teenage forward Endrick.
The 19-year-old has yet to start a match at the tournament, with Ancelotti giving him just 34 minutes of playing time across Brazil's three group-stage fixtures.
The limited opportunities afforded to Endrick have sparked widespread speculation among fans, many of whom believe Ancelotti is determined to keep the young striker on the sidelines. The Italian's apparent reluctance to use the highly rated forward has fuelled countless jokes and memes, with social media users humorously imagining increasingly absurd scenarios in which Ancelotti goes out of his way to make life difficult for Endrick both on and off the pitch.
What began as a footballing debate has now evolved into one of the World Cup's biggest meme fest.
What is happening between Ancelotti and Endrick has a bit of history which dates back to their time at Real Madrid. Those who closely follow the sport have pointed out that when Ancelotti was the Real Madrid manager, Endrick faced the same issue of limited game-time. During the 2024-25 season, Endrick started in just eight matches averaging 23 minutes on the pitch across his 37 appearances.
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