Joao Cancelo has signed a permanent contract with Barcelona that runs until June 30, 2029, marking his third spell at the club [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The 32-year-old defender returned to Barcelona after mutually terminating his contract with Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal earlier this summer [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Before finalizing the permanent deal, Cancelo had two loan spells at Barcelona. His first loan was from Manchester City during the 2023-24 season, and he returned again in January 2026 on loan from Al-Hilal [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Across these two loan periods, Cancelo made 65 appearances for Barcelona, scoring six goals and providing nine assists [1, 3].
Cancelo began his career as a Benfica academy product and has played for several top clubs including Valencia, Inter Milan (2017-18), Juventus (2018-19), Manchester City (2019-24), Bayern Munich (on loan in 2022-23), and Al-Hilal [1, 2, 4, 5]. He has won multiple league titles: three Premier League titles with Manchester City, Serie A with Juventus in 2018-19, Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in 2022-23, La Liga with Barcelona in 2025-26, and the Primeira Liga in Portugal [1, 4, 5].
He joined Al-Hilal on a three-year contract in 2024 but ended his stay after two years by mutual consent to rejoin Barcelona permanently [2, 4]. Cancelo also represented Portugal at the 2026 World Cup, where the team was eliminated by Spain in the round of 16 [1, 5].
Barcelona have revamped their squad for the 2026-27 season with signings including Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner, as well as Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi [1, 2, 3, 4]. Cancelo expressed his joy at rejoining the club, saying, "It's my dream. I'm where I want to be and I am very happy. I like the club, I identify with it. I feel loved here and I promise to give everything for this club" [2].
The permanent contract secures Cancelo’s role with Barcelona for the next three years, through to June 2029 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
