Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate shown red in friendly: Is Rafael Leão now facing a World Cup ban?

Rafael Leão was supposed to be one of Portugal's key weapons at the 2026 World Cup. The AC Milan forward had every reason to keep his head down, impress his coach, and board that plane to North America with momentum behind him. He did none of that. In Portugal's 2-1 friendly win over Chile in Oeiras, Leão threw a punch. The result was obvious as he collected a straight red card. Now, he left FIFA's Disciplinary Committee with a decision that now hangs over Portugal's entire tournament preparation.Of course, Portugal won but Leão lost the plot entirely.The trouble started near the corner flag, where a routine challenge between Chile's Felipe Faundez and João Cancelo turned fractious. Cancelo reacted badly to how his opponent rose from the ground, and the mood around that cluster of players turned sour. Leão and Chilean defender Iván Román, who were close by, began exchanging shoves. Then Leão swiped his hand across Román's face, and that was that. Italian referee Luca Zufferli reached for the red cards, one for each player. Cristiano Ronaldo tried to talk the official out of it. It did not work. Leão walked off with a smug smile. Just before halftime, Portugal down to ten men, score still 0-0.To his credit, Gonçalo Guedes came on at halftime and scored the opener. Bruno Fernandes doubled the lead in the 75th minute, his 29th international goal, putting him level with Nuno Gomes for fifth on Portugal's all-time scoring list. Chile pulled one back in stoppage time through Lucas Cepeda, but it was not enough.Now comes the complicated part. Under normal FIFA rules, a red card in a friendly carries a ban that applies only to further friendly matches. That would limit Leão's punishment to Portugal's final warm-up against Nigeria on Wednesday, which he will miss regardless. But FIFA's rulebook also gives its Disciplinary Committee real discretion when violent conduct is involved. The punch is on camera, clear as day, and FIFA can extend any ban into official competition if it sees fit. That means the World Cup is not off the table.Portuguese outlet A Bola has noted the risk exists, even if past precedent suggests it is unlikely to go that far. Jürgen Locadia of Curacao faced a similar situation recently after a violent conduct red card, and his ban was limited to one match. Leão's camp is reportedly expecting the same outcome.Portugal open their World Cup campaign against DR Congo on June 17 in Houston. If FIFA keeps the ban to friendlies only, Leão plays. If not, one of Europe's most exciting forwards watches the opening match from the stands, just days after announcing he is leaving Milan after seven years, with Manchester United said to be his preferred next destination.