According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Leo flew to Italy with his two sons, and they will watch the Milan Derby in the stands.

After successfully qualifying for the World Cup with the Portuguese national team, Leo will return to Milan today and prepare again in Milanello starting tomorrow for Sunday's game against Inter Milan. Despite not scoring in the two games against Ireland and Armenia, Leo is in a good mood as his primary goal is to help Portugal qualify for the World Cup.

Since June 2024, Leo has only scored one goal in the Portuguese national team, but he does not care. At present, he is more concerned about his performance in Milan, especially his comeback after a calf injury. Since picking up the injury against Bari on August 17, Leo has scored four goals and provided one assist in Serie A, helping Allegri's side to two wins and three draws.

Yesterday, Leo spent a relaxing day in Portugal, accompanying his two sons Leonardo and Thiago, who were born in early November 2024. Today, Leo will fly to Italy with his children and hopes they will watch the derby in the stands.

For him, it is an extra motivation for his children to see their father perform at the San Siro. Leo is not only a person who loves to stream on Twitch, share music and light-hearted topics, but he is also a very loving father. He is facing an important season at a critical stage in his career, and Allegri as coach can help him grow and improve further.

As a result, he has become more focused on post-match recovery and injury prevention. He doesn't want to miss another 40 days due to injury like he did at the beginning of the season. Having Cristiano Ronaldo as a teammate in the national team is also a great motivation. Allegri communicated with him in training in a fatherly manner, but also offered encouragement and criticism during games. Leo feels he is ready to take a new step. At the age of 26, he is preparing to "transform".

This will be a season leading to the 2026 World Cup, Leo's second World Cup trip. He was 23 years old at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Although he did not start in the group stage, round of 16 and quarter-finals, he still scored two goals, against Ghana and Switzerland. In the United States, he hopes to be a protagonist (i.e., a starter), and the only way to earn the trust of coach Martinez and start for the national team is to perform well in Milan.

In short, in addition to his deep feelings for the Rossoneri, he now has more motivation. He enjoyed the promotion celebrations last Sunday against Armenia and was delighted with the 9-1 victory. He took photos on the field with his teammates and heard the coach's joyful speech, especially that of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was about to participate in his sixth World Cup.

Last summer, Ronaldo helped him win the first national team championship of his career-the UEFA Nations League championship. In a few months, they will compete in the World Cup together again. But until then, he needs to focus on Milan's goals, including Champions League qualification and the pursuit of a second Serie A title star.

In recent years, Leo has been criticized for a lack of continuity, especially his performance in the same game. Defense is a major weakness of his. Under Allegri's guidance, some aspects are improving. For example, against Roma he was substituted due to cramps, which could also be due to him making more sprints without the ball.

Allegri believes that the forward can contribute more to the team, whether it is goals or leadership on the field. In pre-season, Allegri used him as a center forward in a 3-5-2 formation, a role that seems to only be used during the summer tour.

Leo performed well, especially against Liverpool. With Pulisic returning, he will be the first-choice striker. Of course, Leo is also free to return to his preferred left-wing position, as he is not suited to always have his back to goal.

Leo is ready to contribute to the team and take responsibility. He took and scored two penalties against Fiorentina and Parma, and even with Pulisic on the pitch (he also missed a penalty against Juventus), Leo could still be on the penalty spot. All in all, this is a brand new Leo. A fatherly version of Leo, to be exact.

Now he is the vice-captain, but Leo may wear the captain's armband next season. Currently, Maignan's contract will expire in 2026, and there is no sign that the two parties will renew a new contract. In June this year, Chelsea tried to sign Maignan (Milan rejected an offer of 18 million euros), and Allegri also prevented him from leaving. Since then, the two sides have not conducted any substantive negotiations. Allegri chose Leo as the vice-captain. If Maignan leaves, Leo may take over the captain's armband in the 2026/27 season. Leo has been part of the team's DNA since joining Milan in 2019 and he is ready.