A friendly encounter just ahead of the World Cup turned chaotic as Portugal’s star forward Rafael Leão was sent off for violent conduct, which could have major repercussions for his participation in the tournament.

Leão made a costly error during Portugal’s friendly match against Chile on Saturday, where his actions could now impact his World Cup involvement.

The AC Milan striker was shown a red card in first-half stoppage time after a heated confrontation between Portuguese and Chilean players, with the scoreline still 0–0. Chile defender Iván Román, who plays for Atlético Mineiro, was also dismissed following the altercation.

The flashpoint started with a routine challenge near the corner flag involving Chile’s right-back Felipe Faundez and Portugal’s João Cancelo. Faundez won the duel and cleared the ball, but Cancelo appeared irritated with the Chilean’s reaction, feeling he stood up too aggressively. The former FC Barcelona loanee reacted angrily, sparking tension between the sides.

The situation escalated when Leão and Román, both nearby, got involved, exchanging shoves before Leão struck the Chilean across the face. Other players quickly surrounded them, but the confrontation was soon brought under control.

Italian referee Luca Zufferli took a brief pause before sending off both Leão and Román. Not even Cristiano Ronaldo’s attempts to appeal the decision could change the referee’s mind. Leão reacted with a smirk before walking off the pitch.

Although Chile are already out of contention for the World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, Leão’s red card could still lead to disciplinary action affecting Portugal’s opening fixtures. Usually, a red card in a friendly only results in suspension from future friendlies rather than tournament matches. For example, Bayern Munich’s Konrad Laimer, who received a red card for handball in Austria’s 1–0 win over Tunisia earlier this week, faces no World Cup ban.

However, since Leão’s offence was categorised as violent conduct, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee could extend his suspension into official matches. If the governing body enforces such a decision, the forward might have to sit out part of the World Cup finals starting on 11 June.

A similar incident occurred with Curaçao striker Jürgen Locadia, who risked missing his team’s first World Cup game against Germany on 14 June after being sent off for violent conduct in a 1–4 friendly defeat to Scotland in late May. In the end, his suspension was limited to one match, ruling him out only of Curaçao’s final warm-up against Aruba.

Leão is reportedly expecting FIFA to impose just a one-match ban, which would sideline him for Portugal’s upcoming friendly against Nigeria on Wednesday. If that’s the case, he’ll be available for Portugal’s opening group match against co-favourites the Democratic Republic of Congo on 17 June. Uzbekistan and Colombia complete the group.

Off the pitch, Leão has announced his intention to leave AC Milan after seven years. “I am proud to have made history at Milan, but I want to start a new chapter in my career,” he told Portuguese broadcaster Sport TV.

Reports suggest Milan are willing to accept offers starting from €50 million, with Manchester United emerging as Leão’s preferred destination. Turkish giants Galatasaray are also monitoring the situation, while Bayern Munich, who were previously linked with the Portuguese forward, now seem close to signing PSV Eindhoven’s Ismael Saibari.

Portugal’s group stage fixtures for the 2026 World Cup are as follows:

Wednesday, 17 June
7:00 pm (German time) – Portugal vs DR Congo

Tuesday, 23 June
7:00 pm (German time) – Portugal vs Uzbekistan

Sunday, 28 June
1:30 am (German time) – Portugal vs Colombia