Li was selected as one of fifty young Chinese footballers to join the academy of Spanish side Atlético Madrid, as part of Wanda Group's "China Football Hope Star" initiative to encourage the development of young Chinese footballers.
[4] In 2021, he represented the China national under-20 football team in the China League Two, notably producing an impressive performance in the Chinese FA Cup, despite his team losing 2–1 to Dalian Professional.
[5] In February 2023, he returned to Atlético Madrid, joining their academy and becoming the second Chinese player to sign an official contract with the club after Xu Xin.
[3][4][5][8][9] He gained notable attention in the 2023 AFC U-20 Asian Cup, having produced an outstanding performance as China managed to reach the quarter-finals, including a shock win over then-champions Saudi Arabia at the group stage.
Despite falling short of qualifying to the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina, Li Hao's performance had gathered praises for his excellent goalkeeping skills.