Rafael Leão scores first 2026 World Cup goal as Portugal demolishes Uzbekistan 5-0
The AC Milan forward's tournament opener caps a dominant Portugal performance, with crypto implications simmering in the background through fan tokens and NFT collectibles.
Rafael Leão put the finishing touch on a Portugal rout, scoring the fifth and final goal in a 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan on June 23. It was the AC Milan forward’s first goal of the 2026 World Cup.
From red card scare to World Cup scorer
On June 6, he picked up a red card in a pre-tournament friendly against Chile. That kind of dismissal typically casts a shadow over a player’s early tournament involvement, raising questions about whether he’d be available for Portugal’s group stage matches.
This isn’t Leão’s first rodeo at a World Cup, either. He scored twice during the 2022 tournament in Qatar, finding the net against Ghana on November 24 and again versus Switzerland on December 6.
Transfer buzz and a €50-60 million price tag
Leão was already the subject of persistent Premier League interest before the tournament kicked off, with his market value estimated in the range of €50-60 million.
Where sports meet blockchain
Leão’s connection to the crypto world isn’t purely hypothetical. He’s been featured in Panini’s NFT trading card collections, which are built on blockchain technology.
Chiliz (CHZ), the token that underpins much of this ecosystem, stands as a potential indirect beneficiary of the attention surrounding players like Leão.