Hours after the World Cup final, while half the planet was still celebrating or mourning the result, Rafael Leão decided to open his secondary Instagram account and post a message aimed at women.
“Girls, the World Cup is over. You can stop pretending you understand football now”, he posted. The story did not even last a full day. Screenshots spread across X, Instagram and TikTok.
The label of “sexist” was pinned on the AC Milan forward almost immediately. Thousands of female fans, many of whom filled stadiums and screens, responded with memes, facts and outrage.
Leão deleted the original message, yes. But instead of an apology, he posted another story asking that it “not be taken seriously”. Just silence disguised as clarification