Portugal international João Cancelo has signed for Barcelona for the third time, after finally penning a permanent contract which will ties him to Camp Nou until 2029.
Cancelo first joined Barca on loan from Manchester City ahead of the 2023-24 season under coach Xavi, but later signed for Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal at the conclusion of the campaign. After 18 months in the Middle East, Cancelo returned to Camp Nou in January 2026, playing the second half of last season under current boss Hansi Flick.
Now, after coming to an agreement to rescind his contract with Al Hilal, Cancelo has signed for three years at Barcelona, having helped the club win La Liga last term. Speaking to the club’s media, Cancelo insists he is at his dream club, where he hopes to serve as a guiding figure to a young squad.
"It's my dream,” Cancelo said. “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.
"On a personal level, my goal is to help my teammates because I already have a certain amount of experience. I’m 32 now, I feel good both physically and mentally.
“Anyone who knows me knows I’ve loved this club since I was a kid, and it was a dream for me to get the chance to represent it. The first time we didn’t win anything and I had a feeling in my heart I had to come back to win something here.
“Last year, we did it. I had the chance to come back for the second half of the season and everything went really well.
“I’m happy I’m here permanently for three years, and I want to give everything I have to help the club achieve its goals.
“We have to keep our feet on the ground and work like we did last year. We have to be a team, be there for each other, then at the end of the season we’ll see where we stand. I think we can achieve great things this year.”
