Rafael Leao names his best XI in world football right now | OneFootball

Over the last few years at AC Milan, Rafael Leao has emerged as a world-class footballer, capable of competing with the best of the best. He's been influential for the Italian club since his arrival in 2019, and he's won numerous individual awards alongside a Serie A title for his troubles.

While Italian football is taking a break over the festive period, the Portuguese star conducted an interview with Sky Sport Italia in which he discussed numerous things such as his interest in music, his time at Lille and his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo, whom he admitted was his idol.

He also revealed the XI of players he considers to be the very best in the world right now, with some surprising omissions and some shocking inclusions.

Leao's XI is missing Lionel Messi

He included himself and two AC Milan teammates

When asked to name his world XI right now comprised of the best players in the game, Leao wasted no time and listed some incredible names that he'd include. He remained loyal to Milan to start, including Mike Maignan, his teammate, as the side's goalkeeper. He then moved on to the defence and selected Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Thiago Silva and Theo Hernandez, another Milan teammate, to complete the back line.

His midfield three was as star-studded as it gets, as he picked Kevin De Bruyne, Jude Bellingham and Luka Modric, before he rounded out his team with a front three of himself on the left wing, Vinicius Junior on the right and Kylian Mbappe playing as the central striker. The pace is enough to blow any defence away.

You've got to respect the level of confidence that Leao has within himself to select himself for the team and leave out the likes of Lionel Messi, Ronaldo and Bukayo Saka.

Leao went on to credit Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his growth

The two played together for three years

Shortly after Leao joined Milan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic rejoined the side and the pair eventually spent three years playing together. It's three years that appeared to have a huge impact on the Portuguese star as well. Speaking in his interview with Sky Sport Italia, he credited the Swede's influence on helping his career.

Whatever Ibrahimovic did, it certainly worked as well, with Leao transforming into a top-level player during his tenure at Milan. Time will only tell just how much better he will get, but considering he's still just 24 years old, it seems like a safe bet that he'll somehow keep improving and that's a scary thought for the rest of football.