“Goals in marriage”
Cristiano Ronaldo is 39 years old, has 5 children, lives with Georgina but is not his wife. They have not married. And it is not known when the wedding will be held. The football world also has many other players who have girlfriends but have not married. That is inherently familiar because according to common thinking, they want to focus on their career, build their reputation before deciding to walk down the aisle with someone.
So, when the news broke that Endrick had decided to get married, it was a surprise. A real shock. As of September 21, Endrick had just turned 18 for exactly 2 months. It was as if the 18-year-old player had just waited until he reached the legal age, and had somewhat settled down at Real Madrid, to get married, regardless of his family's opinions or objections.
Endrick’s wife is Gabriely Miranda, a model with quite a bit of influence through 1.1 million followers on Instagram. Interestingly, there is still inconsistent information about the age gap between Endrick and Gabriely, when some news say she is 23, other news say 21. But no matter how big the gap is, no matter how much gossip there is about whether Endrick is “cheated” or not, this Brazilian player himself, very early on, showed very serious thoughts about starting a family.
It's been part of the plan for a long time. Earlier, during an appearance on the TV show Conversa com Bial, Endrick hinted at an immediate marriage with Gabriely. He said: "As I told my parents, I want to be a young father, to see my child grow up and have a strong relationship, but of course, she (Gabriely) has to say yes or no first."
And with confirmation from Gabriely through photos and statuses on her personal page, she said “yes”. And finally, everyone witnessed the young couple, welcoming the biggest step in their relationship that only started 1 year ago. But in this short period of time, they have created a strong relationship, whether from the adventurous but lovely love story or the relationship contract (with a few unusual rules) rumored to be unorthodox.
Speaking a little about Gabriely, similar to Endrick, she was also born and raised in Brazil, specifically Sao Paulo, and comes from a well-off family. This somewhat dispels the judgment that she loves Endrick for political reasons. After completing the necessary education, she decided to pursue a modeling career. Gabriely has ambition and influence in the fashion industry and is currently signed by Mega Model Brasil, a modeling agency.
As of September 2024, she has amassed over 1.1 million followers on Instagram by highlighting her collaborations with major clothing, eyewear, jewelry, and sports brands. Her social media presence includes collaborations with big names like New Balance, as well as popular Brazilian household brands Simple Organic Beauty and Neosaldina.
And to talk about seriously accepting Endrick's proposal, Gabriely herself - a devout person who calls herself "Filha do Deus vivo" (Daughter of the Living God), announced the marriage of the two starting with a quote from the Bible.
Goal "ignored Mbappe and Vinicius"
18 years, 1 month and 27 days was the moment when Endrick decided to get married, scoring the “goal of his life”. Just a few hours later, he scored another goal. A real goal on the pitch. After the first goal in his debut in La Liga (against Valladolid), this was the first goal in his first breath of the Champions League atmosphere.
What was so special about that goal when it was exactly the same as in La Liga in terms of “first time”? It was special because of the way Endrick surprised everyone, like the way he announced his marriage. It was the 5th minute of injury time of Real Madrid’s match with Stuttgart at the Bernabeu, Endrick took the ball from his own field, went straight to the opponent’s 1/3 and fired a long-range shot, scoring the goal to make it 3-1 for Los Blancos.
What was special? That, advancing with Endrick were Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior. A world-class striker, a fellow countryman, a teammate on the Brazilian national team, each moved into an open position to wait for a pass from Endrick. But the 18-year-old made his choice - to shoot. And the goal...
There were compliments, as well as criticisms of selfishness and lack of teamwork. There were also comments that Endrick surpassed his two seniors, leaving them in a... embarrassed position. Whether or not he was embarrassed was an outsider's opinion. In reality, both Mbappe and Vinicius celebrated and went to congratulate their younger brother.
A decision to “ignore” his senior made many people think of the word “if”. If there was no goal, what would happen? Whatever it was, Endrick was ready to accept it, right from the moment he decided to kick. That readiness was like being ready to accept family life while at an age when he should still be eating and playing. Coach Carlo Ancelotti described that decision as “courage”.
Indeed, Endrick has surprised the world with his courage. But perhaps his relatives and those who taught him from a young age were not surprised. Before enrolling at the Palmeiras club, Endrick sat with his father, Mr. Douglas, and promised to give his family a better life by becoming a professional soccer player. At that time, Endrick was only 10 years old.
Endrick's goals at Wembley (Brazil beat England 1-0 in a friendly) and at the Bernabeu (Brazil drew Spain 3-3) are other important milestones, but so far, the two "goals" this week have been the "lifetime" ones for his career journey.
