Now it’s official: João Cancelo is once again a Barça player. FC Barcelona and Al Hilal Saudi FC have reached an agreement for the loan of the Portuguese full-back until the end of the season. He will wear the number 2 shirt.
The signing ceremony took place this Tuesday at the club’s offices and was attended by FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta, first vice-president Rafael Yuste, board member Joan Soler, and Director of the Football Area Anderson Luis de Souza (Deco), along with the player’s family.
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“What I feel for this club is very special”
The new blaugrana player couldn’t hide his emotion about returning to the Club during his presentation and statements to the media. “I didn’t think twice about coming back when the chance came up. I told everyone I would wait for Barça. Representing this Club is an honour, it’s the best in the world.” Cancelo feels “at home” both in Barça and Barcelona, and he assured that this is “the only club in the word” to have given him “goosebumps when signing”.
Cancelo arrives with ambition and humility, stating that he wants to “enjoy this team” and “help however I can”. This will be his second spell in blaugrana, but the excitement is the same or even greater because Barça are not just any old team. “Whoever knows me knows that all my idols played here. What I feel for this club is very special“, he affirmed. He was clear about the objectives too, stating “I didn’t win a trophy in my first spell and that’s what I want now”. There is also the added incentive of playing for the home side at the Spotify Camp Nou, as he added, “It will be a unique feeling. I have been waiting for so long. I might cry, I probably will, because it’s something I wanted for a long time”.
Back at Barça
The Portuguese defender previously wore the Barça shirt during the 2023/24 season, when he joined on loan from Manchester City. That campaign saw him play a prominent role, featuring in 42 matches (32 in La Liga and 10 in the Champions League) scoring four goals (two in La Liga and two in the Champions League) and providing five assists (four in La Liga and one in the Champions League).
After his loan spell ended on 30 June 2024, he moved to Al-Hilal SFC, his current parent club, where he has played 45 matches over a season and a half.
Career at big clubs
Before his first spell at Barça, the right-back had already built a top-level career. Born in Barreiro, he was soon recruited by Benfica, close to home, where he won a league title, a Portuguese Cup, a League Cup, and a Super Cup.
Valencia saw his potential and secured his services, an investment that paid off during his first three seasons in Spanish football. He later enjoyed two spells in Italy, first with Inter Milan and then Juventus, where he took another step forward in his performances. In the summer of 2019, he joined Manchester City, where he spent three and a half seasons, including loan spells at Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona.
