Not every anime protagonist starts by winning. Sometimes they appear rarely, sometimes they are overlooked, and sometimes the entire story seems to follow a different path until the audience starts asking: “Why isn’t he in yet?”
That feeling is exactly what took over social media during recent matches of the Brazilian National Team, turning Endrick into one of the most talked-about names among fans, creators, and pop culture enthusiasts. But the interesting part wasn’t just the football discussion — it was how the internet chose to interpret it: Endrick became an anime character.
Edited videos, fan animations, and memes began comparing the striker to Naruto, a character known for constantly trying to prove his worth until his big moment finally arrives.
That’s where the anime parallel was born: not the forgotten protagonist, but the one who enters when the battle has already changed — yet still makes the audience believe the best moment is yet to come.
The “Naruto effect”: when the audience creates the protagonist
In fan-made animations, the player appears as someone waiting to awaken his true potential, PelĂ©: the three-time World Cup champion — a narrative very similar to what sports anime and shonen stories have used for decades.
It doesn’t matter whether this interpretation fully matches reality on the pitch. What matters for the meme is the narrative. And narratively, many people saw in Endrick a character who seems ready to change the game once he finally gets his chance.
But it wasn’t just Brazil: the World Cup started to feel like an anime
If there is one thing the World Cup delivers, it’s players and moments that feel like they came straight out of anime. Among them, we have the impressive achievement of Cape Verde and its goalkeeper Vozinha. Facing teams considered group favorites, the team achieved results that many fans began to describe as the classic arc of the underdog team that refuses to fall.
Draws and competitive performances against giants quickly gained the same narrative seen in sports anime: the small team that steps onto the field without fear and forces the favorite to fight until the very last minute.
On the other side, traditional powerhouses continued to show why they carry “final boss” energy, such as Germany, France, and Argentina.
And with how Japan has been playing, we are getting closer to seeing anime-like football moments becoming reality.
When football gains the aura of anime
In the end, perhaps the most interesting thing about all of this is not comparing Endrick with Naruto, but realizing how the internet now consumes sports the same way it consumes pop culture.
And when fan videos start turning matches into animated episodes and narrative arcs, football begins to carry the same aura as anime: stories in progress, full of characters, plot twists, and moments that feel scripted — even when everything is happening live.
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