In the song “Desabafo 2”, released in 2021, rapper Way 45 reveals the dramas he went through before he became famous. “I came from where many suspect. / The color of the skin is sometimes not respected. / I make the bed where I lie. / “Pa” when I wake up, I don’t see any surprises.

The lyrics also speak of a cold relationship with her father, the pain of not meeting her grandfather, and the hardships her mother overcame. “Microphone [microfone] he is my medicine,” another passage sings. “My father is cold, but I saw pain in him. / See someone leaving. / But in the countryside, I give you a reason to smile.”

The area he cites is another stage where he shines. Way 45 is actually the alter ego of 23 year old Rafael Leão, a Portuguese player who was a great player Milan campaign last seasonwhen the Italian team won the national championship again 11 years later.

Chosen as the best athlete in the competition, the striker is also considered in Europe to be the most active Portuguese in football. At the Ballon d’Or this year, published by the French magazine France Football last week, he finished 14th ahead of Cristiano Ronaldoo 20º no ranking.

Since 2007, for the first time, a player, five times (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017) chosen by the magazine as the best in the world, is not the highest ranked athlete in his country.

Rafael Leao, in turn, participated in the France Football elections for the first time. The 14th place he took makes him the best athlete in Italian Championship on the list is Serb Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus, ranked 17th, also in the top 20.

The recognition of the Milan striker is mainly due to his role in the last stretch of the tournament. As the dispute with Inter Milan escalated, his goals and assists became decisive for the outcome of the competition: his team was two points ahead of the opponent (86 to 84).

The Portuguese was the team’s top scorer with 11 goals, seven in the second round, and the team’s top scorer with eight assists, three of them in the last round against Sassuolo, as Milan won 3-0 to confirm the trophy.

During the title celebration, the club released footage of the athletes partying in the dressing room, and one of them attracted attention. in that, or striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic appears profusely in praise of Leo, which is not very typical of a Swede, since he usually bows publicly only to himself.

“Where is Rafael? [Rafael Leão]? Come here, Rafael. This is our person, our phenomenon and our future. No more words needed, my friend. You had a great time. Keep your feet on the ground and work even harder because this is just the beginning,” Ibrahimovic said, hugging the athlete.

These two are very good friends. The Portuguese tend to appreciate the importance of the Swedish language during the adaptation period. “Zlatan is an example. He taught me the importance of always being focused, even off the pitch.”

The support of a teammate helped him get through his first two seasons at Milan, which saw the Portuguese oscillate between good and bad moments. This was a reflection of the transition from the modest “Lille” (France), for which he played only one season, to the Italian giant.

“I came from France, where everything was small and life was very different. When you come to Milan, you understand that you have to be a winner, that many legends wore the same shirt, won so many titles. Do you feel that. and live it right away,” commented the player who had a meteoric rise.

Angolan-born Rafael Leao was born in Almada, on the outskirts of Lisbon. He came to football early, at the age of nine, when he joined the youth team of Sporting. During this period the boy was divided between the village and the beach. I loved going to the city of Nazare, famous for its giant waves. It was there that he created his identification with surfing, which, like hip-hop, is very present in his life.

Despite the fact that he earned his entire base at Sporting, the athlete had few chances as a professional – only five games. The passage through Portuguese football was cut short in 2018 when fans invaded the CT to attack the players. After the episode, he managed to unilaterally terminate the contract and go to Lille.

However, the Portuguese club filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where the athlete was sentenced to a fine of 16.5 million euros (84.2 million reais at the current price). Due to interest, the amount has already reached 20 million euros (102 million reais).

Milan are ready to help the striker pay off the debt. It is a way for the club to convince him to extend his contract and extend the release clause, which currently stands at 150 million euros (765 million reais).

Clubs such as PSG and Chelsea have already shown interest in the Portuguese.

His future is decided agent Jorge Mendes, the one who cares about Cristiano Ronaldo’s career. The businessman’s plan at the moment is to not let the problem interfere with the player’s performance in world Cup.

This is the seventh of ten texts about players that can surprise at the 2022 World Cup, they are published on Tuesdays.