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Sunday will be a special derby for Rafael Leao. Not only will he look to be decisive for AC Milan again, but his twins will be present at San Siro to watch him.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport report, Leao is the ‘dad of the derby’ because his twin sons Leonardo and Thiago will be in the stands to watch him for the first time. Fresh from qualifying for the World Cup with Portugal, Leao will be in city today and will resume training tomorrow at Milanello.
Sunday’s match against Inter is a big one, in a San Siro that will be predominantly black and blue, given that Chivu’s team will be playing at home. The No.10 is in high spirits even though he didn’t score in the two matches against Ireland and Armenia, with his focus now back on club football.
The full-throttle restart he has had with Milan after the right calf injury he suffered on August 17 against Bari is reason for optimism. He racked up four goals and an assist that in Serie A that got Massimiliano Allegri’s side two wins and three draws despite the injury emergency.
A special derby awaits
Yesterday, Leao was in Portugal and spent a relaxing day with Leonardo and Thiago, born in early November 2024. Today, the two children will fly to Italy with him, and the striker would like to see them in the stands for the derby.
He’s keen for the little ones to watch their dad play at San Siro. It would be an extra boost for him because Rafa is the one who streams on Twitch (now less frequently than in the past), where he smiles, shares his music and discusses life away from football.
At the same time, he’s also a very sweet father who loves his children, and a player in the prime of his development who is facing a crucial season, with a coach who can help him grow and improve significantly.
That’s why those close to him assure him that he’s even more meticulous than in the past: he places great importance on post-match recovery and injury prevention. Having to sit out for 40 days was something he suffered from, and he wants to do everything possible to ensure that doesn’t happen again.
How? By taking care of every detail. Having Cristiano Ronaldo as a teammate for the national team at the next World Cup is a great motivation. Allegri talks to him in a fatherly manner during the week, yet doesn’t skimp on encouragement or reprimands during matches.
The coach is giving him a helping hand, in other words, and Leao feels ready to make another leap in quality. Fatherhood has given him something extra. At 26 years of age, he realises that a decisive year is upon him.
America on the horizon
This is after all the season leading up to the 2026 World Cup, the second of Leao’s career. The former Lille man was 23 in Qatar in 2022, and despite not having started in the three group stage matches, the round of 16 and the quarter-finals, he scored two goals against Ghana and Switzerland.
In America, the story must be different: he wants to be a key player (i.e. a starter), and the only way to earn coach Roberto Martinez’s trust (and a spot in the starting XI) is to make a difference in Serie A with Milan.
In short, while maintaining the strong bond he’s always had with the Rossoneri colours, he now has extra motivation compared to the past. On Sunday against Armenia, he enjoyed the qualification celebrations and the 9-1 win.
He posed for photos on the pitch with his team-mates, listened to the coach’s passionate speech and especially that of Ronaldo, who is ready for the sixth World Cup of his career. Last summer, CR7 helped him win the first trophy of his career with his national team, the Nations League, beating Spain in the final.
In a few months, the USA adventure will begin, once again with Cristiano at his side. But first, there’s Milan’s aims to focus on, from qualifying for the next Champions League (a competition they’re sorely missing) to the dream of a second-star Scudetto.
Role at Milan
Rafa has been criticised in recent years for his lack of consistency, even within the same match, and his Achilles heel has often been his defensive position. Under Allegri, some things are improving: against Roma, for example, he was substituted due to cramps, partly because he ran a lot without the ball.
Max is convinced his striker can give him even more, in terms of goals and leadership on the pitch. In preseason, he had him tailor-made for the centre-forward role in a 3-5-2 that seemed destined to last only through the summer tour of Asia and Australia.
The Portuguese performed well, shining especially against Liverpool, and now that Christian Pulisic is available again, he will start as the ‘No.9’ again. Naturally, Rafa will be free to spread out on his beloved left flank, because asking him to always play with his back to goal would be a debilitating factor.
Leao, however, is ready to contribute to the team and take on the responsibilities. Against Fiorentina and Parma, he was the one who took and converted the two penalties, and even with Pulisic on the pitch (who missed a penalty against Juventus), he could step up again.
After all, this is a different Leao. Or rather, a fatherly version of Leao. Inter have been warned.
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