There’s a new elite talent at the first striker position in world football. His name is Rafael Leão.
He plays with shades of Ronaldo. Not Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo. From Brazil.
You might not have seen him play yet, but you really should watch him next game. The Portuguese Number 9 plays for AC Milan, and he should also be playing for Portugal their next game. Previously, he played for Portugal’s U-21 team.
It’s important to revisit how good Ronaldo was to give perspective to the comparison with Rafael Leão. With no disrespect to Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazilian Ronaldo was the best footballer of all time, bar none. The Brazilian was quite simply too good, too fast, and too unstoppable. Even in retirement, it’s a shame to see Ronaldo overweight because the 180-pound Ronaldo was quite the sight to behold. All of his contemporaries and successors bowed down to his skill, speed, and directness. Perhaps no moment showcased his skill and appeal more than his left-footed chip over the Santos goalkeeper from outside of the box after leaving his defender for dead with a right-footed Cruyff executed at a full sprint behind his left leg. Ronaldo was easily 20 pounds overweight when he executed this cobertura as it’s called in Portuguese.
Granted, it’s too early to say that Rafael Leão is as good as Ronaldo, but Leão plays with the same flair, speed, and power. Ronaldo himself was a grandmaster of technique and tricks, but Leão certainly executes his tricks with smoothness and bravado, plus the Portuguese striker uses both feet interchangeably. Ronaldo comparisons are dangerous, but this comparison is merely to say that Leão plays like Ronaldo. One of Ronaldo’s greatest qualities was the speed and directness with which he attacked the opposition, and Leão plays that way as well.
The skill, speed, and directness of Rafael Leão’s play draws the viewer’s attention to him instantly. It’s early days, but this writer would go as far as saying that Leão looks to be one of the most promising strikers since Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Rafael Leão is truly good, and praising him too much feels like it could jinx his rise to fame and glory. It’s not clear why he isn’t already starting for Portugal as their center forward with Cristiano Ronaldo out left.
Technique
The Portuguese Number 9 has textbook technical ability with both feet, and his dribbling, passing, and shooting are smooth and effortless. One immediately notices that Leão is completely comfortable using his weaker left foot. The stepover is one of the first tricks that players learn, but most professionals are hesitant to even use it in games against professional opponents. Fewer still are the players who can execute a stepover smoothly and effectively at match pace while on the run. Leão’s stepovers are graceful and low to the ground like a good stepover should be. Most players telegraph the arrival of the stepover by lifting their foot too high off the ground when executing the trick. Leão’s stepovers are smooth like Robinho’s. So far, the Portuguese forward appears to have a full arsenal of even the most audacious of tricks, including the truly rare elástico, and his overall technique in everything else is perfect.
Speed
There’s no way around it. Rafael Leão is shockingly fast. It doesn’t matter who the defender is, Leão is faster. Maybe Rafael Varane might be the same speed, but that’s the only defender that comes to mind. Many fast players aren’t direct enough with their speed. Sure, you’ll see it if they’re chasing down a through ball, but they won’t unleash the speed on you without an invitation. Leão will sprint at defenders the second he receives the ball, and the directness with which he attacks inevitably opens up more space for him to dribble into or it gets the defender on his heels, which allows him to go past the defender on the right or left.
Finishing
Rafael Leão’s first goal for AC Milan showcased his finishing ability in that it was a left-footed finish to the far post when the ball was actually under his feet when he scored it. He didn’t have the right to score that goal. Even an elite professional forward wouldn’t have scored that goal. It’s not clear how he generated the power and placement to score that goal. It’s also not clear how he kept the shot on the ground. So far, this observer hasn’t seen enough of Leão’s finishing to give much detail about it. The full extent of his finishing abilities are yet to be seen. Nevertheless, it’s likely world-class. It just remains to be seen how good it is from outside the box and how good his dead-ball striking is. The fact that Milan’s new coach Pioli has recently had Leão on the bench has prevented observers from giving a more thorough analysis of his play.
Mentality
Rafael Leão doesn’t lose his temper on referees or opponents from what we can tell. When he doesn’t agree with a call, he just kind of looks at the referee and makes a few gestures without losing it on the referee or yelling at them. He makes a short plea, and then he continues to play. This bodes well for him. He also appears unfazed by big games or elite opponents.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that this may seem like a hyperbolic claim, Rafael Leão looks to be a world-class striker who plays with more flair and directness than even top strikers. They’re outstanding, but the skill, speed, and directness of Rafael Leão looks different. He plays with ousadia, which means daring or boldness in Portuguese. Time will tell how good he gets.