Rafael Leão

Rafael Leão
Personal information
Full name Rafael Alexandre Conceição Leão
Date of birth (1999-06-10) 10 June 1999
Place of birth Almada, Portugal
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
 Lille
Number 7
Youth career
2006–2007 Amora
2007–2008 Foot 21
2008–2017 Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017 Sporting B 12 (7)
2018 Sporting CP 3 (1)
2018– Lille 1 (0)
National team‡
2015 Portugal U16 10 (2)
2015–2016 Portugal U17 11 (4)
2016–2017 Portugal U19 17 (5)
2017– Portugal U20 2 (0)
2017– Portugal U21 3 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 5 March 2018
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 27 March 2018

Rafael Alexandre Conceição Leão (born 10 June 1999) is a Portuguese footballer who plays for French club Lille OSC as a forward.

Club career

Sporting

Born in Almada, Setúbal District of Angolan descent, Leão joined Sporting CP's youth system at the age of 9 after a brief spell in Amora FC.[1][2] On 21 May 2017, still a junior, he made his senior debut with the reserves, coming on as a second-half substitute and scoring in a 1–1 away draw against S.C. Braga B.[3]

Courtesy of manager Jorge Jesus, Leão first appeared in the Primeira Liga with the first team on 11 February 2018, replacing Bryan Ruiz for the last 21 minutes of the 2–0 home win over C.D. Feirense.[4][5] On 2 March, having taken the place of injured Seydou Doumbia late into the first half, he equalised for the visitors a few minutes after taking the pitch but in a 1–2 away loss to FC Porto[6]– in the process, he became the club's youngest-ever scorer against that opposition.[7]

On 14 June 2018, Leão unilaterally terminated his contract at the Estádio José Alvalade.[8]

Lille

On 8 August 2018, Leão joined French club Lille OSC on a free transfer, signing a five-year deal.[9]

International career

On 10 November 2017, aged only 18, Leão won his first cap for the Portugal under-21 side, playing 31 minutes in a 1–1 away draw against Romania for the 2019 UEFA European Championship qualifiers.[10][11]

References

  1. ↑ "Poderá Rafael Leão vir a ser a nova estrela do Sporting?" [Can Rafael Leão be Sporting's next star?]. Record (in Portuguese). 13 February 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  2. ↑ "RAFAEL LEÃO »» Do futebol de rua nas Paivas à sua passagem pelo Amora" [RAFAEL LEÃO »» From street football at the Paivas to Amora spell]. Jornal de Desporto (in Portuguese). 6 March 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  3. ↑ "COMENTÁRIO: Sporting B empata com Braga B e impede terceiro lugar aos minhotos" [COMMENT: Sporting B draw with Braga B and prevent minhotos from finishing third]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 21 May 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  4. ↑ "Leões vencem Feirense com dois golos tardios" [Lions beat Feirense with two late goals]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). 11 February 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  5. ↑ "«Rafael Leão tremia por todo o lado»" [«Rafael Leão was shaking all over the place»]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 11 February 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  6. ↑ "A lei de Brahimi" [Brahimi's law] (in Portuguese). TSF. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  7. ↑ "Sporting não venceu o clássico, mas Rafael Leão fez história" [Sporting did not win classic, but Rafael Leão made history] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 3 March 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  8. ↑ "Rafael Leão rescinde contrato com o Sporting. É o nono" [Rafael Leão terminates contract with Sporting. Going nine] (in Portuguese). TSF. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  9. ↑ "Rafael Leão au LOSC" [Rafael Leão to LOSC] (in French). Lille OSC. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "Portugal empata na Roménia e complica apuramento" [Portugal draw in Romania and make qualification harder]. Público (in Portuguese). 10 November 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  11. ↑ "Roménia S21 1–1 Portugal S21" [Romania U21 1–1 Portugal U21] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
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