Rafael Leao has clarified that his actions during Portugal’s friendly clash with Chile were motivated by a desire to stand up for a teammate, stressing that he “never intended to hurt the opponent.”
The forward has also received backing from Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes.
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The AC Milan attacker found himself at the center of controversy on Saturday after being shown a straight red card for striking an opposing player during the international friendly against Chile.
Addressing the incident through Instagram, the Portugal star shared his side of the story. “Regarding my sending off, I simply wanted to protect my teammate and never intended to hurt the opponent,” he wrote.
You can watch the incident below
🚨🚨| IVAN ROMAN AND RAFAEL LEAO HAVE BOTH BEEN SENT OFF! 🟥 pic.twitter.com/AQk5KavufG
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) June 6, 2026
“Thank you to all the Portuguese fans who were at Jamor; the atmosphere was incredible. We move forward together.”
A number of Leao’s friends and teammates reacted to the post, including fellow Portugal international Bruno Fernandes.
The Manchester United midfielder commented “United” in Portuguese, prompting another response from Leao.
The Milan winger has limited comments on his social media accounts following criticism from sections of the club’s supporters over recent months.
Leao is likely to receive a one-match suspension. Since Portugal have another friendly scheduled before the World Cup begins, the Rossoneri forward is expected to serve the ban before the tournament, allowing him to be available for Portugal’s opening World Cup fixture.
Portugal will begin their 2026 World Cup campaign on June 17 against DR Congo.
They will then face Fabio Cannavaro’s Uzbekistan on June 23 before concluding the group stage with a match against Colombia on June 28.
