Rafael Leao has confirmed a wish to leave AC Milan after the club failed to reach the Champions League, stressing that personal goals now point toward another league while noting that the current focus remains Portugal’s World Cup campaign and helping the national team on football’s biggest international stage.

Speaking to Sport TV, the 26-year-old forward described deep respect for Milan while signalling that a new step is likely. “Personally, I’ve given everything at AC Milan. It’s a club that helped me grow a lot and supported me through tough times,” the 26-year-old toldSport TV. “Fortunately, I managed to make my mark in their history. Everyone has ambitions and I dream of a new challenge in a new league. If that happens, I’ll be very happy and fulfilled because I did my job at AC Milan.”

Leao joined AC Milan from Lille in 2019 and has since become one of the team’s main attacking figures, scoring 80 goals and supplying 55 assists in 291 matches in all competitions, while reaching 135 direct goal involvements since the start of the 2019-20 season, which is 60 more than any other Milan player over that period.

Across the 2025-26 season, Leao’s influence has been more limited, with 13 goal involvements recorded and only 25 starts, and the Portugal forward has not prevented Milan finishing fifth in Serie A, which leaves the Italian club outside the Champions League places and has contributed to Leao’s decision that a move away from San Siro is now the preferred option.

While transfer discussions wait, Leao has stressed that national-team duties come first and that Portugal’s World Cup campaign is the priority, with the forward also making clear that future club choices must keep open the chance to compete regularly at the highest European level, including the Champions League, once the international tournament has finished.

Leao underlined that view when discussing the months ahead. “The most important thing now is the World Cup and helping the national team in any way I can,” he added. “When the time comes, I’ll look at the best options to continue my career and keep competing at the top of European football.”

Leao’s stance leaves AC Milan preparing for life without a leading attacker whose numbers have outstripped every team-mate since 2019-20, while clubs across Europe track a player who has expressed gratitude to Milan yet now seeks a new league, continued Champions League exposure and a role that matches long-term ambitions.