Cancelo joins Barcelona on permanent deal after two loans

Barcelona have confirmed the signing of Joao Cancelo on a free transfer.

Cancelo has signed a three-year deal at Camp Nou after his Al-Hilal contract was mutually terminated, with this his first permanent deal with the Blaugrana after two previous loan spells.

The second of those loans came in the latter half of last season, when the 32-year-old helped Barca win LaLiga for the second consecutive year.

Overall, Cancelo has made 65 appearances for Barca across his two loan spells, scoring six goals and providing eight assists.

“My love for Barca has always been the same, and I’m very happy to be here,” said Cancelo.

“The difference is that my first season here left me with a bittersweet feeling. I couldn’t win any titles. Last season, however, I was able to do so and fulfil a childhood dream. I still had the league title to win.

“It’s been a difficult few weeks, but I was clear about what I wanted. The only other possibility was that I would have stayed at Al-Hilal for a year without playing because my only goal was to return to Barca.

“My representatives knew that I only wanted to play here.

“A club like Barça has to be prepared to win everything. We’re going for the Champions League, obviously. We’re going to do everything possible to win the Champions League.”

Living his dream pic.twitter.com/JUGqMKCN9C

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 20, 2026

Cancelo will be reunited with Rodri at Barca, with the two previously playing together at Manchester City.

They won 97 of the 134 games they played together at City (D17 L20), conceding an average of 0.8 goals per game across those matches.

“Rodri is one of the best players I’ve played with in my career,” added Cancelo.

“He’s a player who contributes a lot both offensively and defensively. He’s here to help; I’ve had a good relationship with him since our time at City.

“He’s very easy to play with, and he’s here to help Barca. It’s important that players who want to be here are with us.”