Shock. Portugal national team star could miss World Cup after brawl in friendly match

Portuguese national team and AC Milan star winger Rafael Leão is facing the risk of a severe suspension right on the eve of the 2026 World Cup kickoff.

Details: The root of this major scandal was his undisciplined behavior during a recent friendly against Chile. In the heat of a mass altercation on the pitch, Leão lost his composure and landed a punch to the face of Chilean defender Iván Román. According to Goal.com, Leão’s violent conduct earned him an instant straight red card, but the story didn’t end with a routine sending-off. Now, this incident could have disastrous consequences for the Portuguese star.

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Since Leão committed a serious disciplinary offense classified as physical assault and aggressive conduct, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has every right to step in. The world’s football governing body may hand down a harsh penalty in the form of a ban from all official international matches, which would automatically carry over to the World Cup finals.

If this happens, the Portuguese superstar is guaranteed to miss several opening group stage fixtures at the World Cup.

At this moment, both the Portuguese camp and Leão himself are anxiously awaiting FIFA’s final verdict, hoping the punishment will be limited to missing only the final pre-season friendly against Nigeria.

Reminder: The Argentina national team star suffered a serious injury and will miss the World Cup.