This article will tell you about the career highlights of Portuguese footballer Rafael Leao
Rafael Leao is a young Portuguese footballer who currently plays as a forward for the French club, AC Milan. He was born on June 10, 1999, in Almada, Portugal.
Leao began his footballing journey at a young age, joining his local club, Sporting Clube de Portugal, at the age of eight. He showed great potential as a youngster, and soon caught the attention of scouts from top European clubs.
Career Overview
In 2018, at the age of 18, Leao made his senior debut for Sporting CP in a league match against Feirense. He scored a goal and providing an assist in a 2-0 win.
However, his time at the club was short-lived as he terminated his contract with the team in June 2018 following an incident involving fans at the club’s training ground.
Leao then signed for Lille OSC in August 2018 for a reported fee of €14 million. He made his debut for the club in September, coming on as a substitute in a league match against Nantes.
He soon established himself as a regular in the team and finished the season with 8 goals and 2 assists in 26 league appearances. He helped Lille finish second in Ligue 1, securing their place in the UEFA Champions League for the following season.
In the 2019/20 season, Leao continued to impress, scoring 6 goals and providing 3 assists in 24 league appearances. He also scored his first goal in the Champions League in a group stage match against Valencia. However, Lille failed to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition, finishing third in their group behind Chelsea and Valencia.
Career At AC Milan
Leao’s impressive performances at Lille caught the attention of AC Milan, who signed him in August 2019 for a reported fee of €35 million. He made his debut for the club in September, coming on as a substitute in a league match against Hellas Verona.
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He scored his first goal for the club in November, in a league match against Napoli. In his first season at Milan, Leao scored 6 goals and provided 3 assists in 30 league appearances, helping the team finish sixth in Serie A and qualify for the Europa League.
In the 2020/21 season, Leao established himself as a key player for Milan. He scored 7 goals and providing 4 assists in 40 appearances in all competitions.
He helped the team finish second in Serie A, securing their place in the Champions League for the following season. He also scored a memorable goal in a 3-0 win over Juventus in January 2021. He dribbled past three defenders before firing a shot into the bottom corner.
Leao’s career has been marked by his pace, dribbling ability, and clinical finishing. He has been praised for his potential and is considered one of the brightest young talents in European football.
He has also represented Portugal at various youth levels. He made his senior debut for the national team in October 2020 in a friendly against Spain.
In addition to this, he showed his true potential in 2022 FIFA World Cup but. But unfortunately, Portugal didn’t make it to the semi-finals.
Summary
In conclusion, Raphael Leao has had a promising career so far. He has established himself as a regular for both Lille and AC Milan at a young age. With his talent and potential, he is expected to continue making a significant impact in the footballing world in the years to come.
