João Cancelo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
João Cancelo

Cancelo playing for Manchester City in 2023
Personal information
Full name	João Pedro Cavaco Cancelo
Date of birth	(1994-05-27) 27 May 1994 (age 31)
Place of birth	Barreiro, Portugal
Height	1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Full-back
Team information
Current team	Al Hilal
Number	20
Youth career
2002–2007	Barreirense
2007–2012	Benfica
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2012–2014	Benfica B	51	(2)
2014–2015	Benfica	1	(0)
2014–2015	→ Valencia (loan)	10	(0)
2015–2018	Valencia	64	(2)
2017–2018	→ Inter Milan (loan)	26	(1)
2018–2019	Juventus	25	(1)
2019–2024	Manchester City	98	(5)
2023	→ Bayern Munich (loan)	15	(1)
2023–2024	→ Barcelona (loan)	32	(2)
2024–	Al Hilal	22	(0)
International career‡
2010	Portugal U16	6	(0)
2010–2011	Portugal U17	17	(1)
2011–2012	Portugal U18	7	(0)
2012–2013	Portugal U19	25	(1)
2013–2014	Portugal U20	9	(0)
2014–2017	Portugal U21	11	(1)
2016–	Portugal	60	(10)
Medal record Representing  Portugal UEFA Nations League Winner 2019 Portugal UEFA European Under-21 Championship 2015 Czech Republic
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:04, 21 April 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:07, 18 November 2024 (UTC)

João Pedro Cavaco Cancelo (born May 27, 1994) is a Portuguese professional footballer. He plays mainly as a full-back for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal. He also plays for the Portugal national team.

João Cancelo started his football journey at Benfica's youth academy. He joined their main team in 2014. Later, he moved to La Liga club Valencia. He then played for Serie A team Inter Milan on loan. His great performances earned him a spot in the Serie A Team of the Year.

In 2018, Juventus signed Cancelo. He won the league title and the Supercoppa Italiana with them. In 2019, he joined English club Manchester City. There, he won three Premier League titles and the EFL Cup. He also helped Manchester City reach their first UEFA Champions League final. After that, he played on loan for Bayern Munich and Barcelona. He won a Bundesliga title with Bayern. In 2024, he signed with Al-Hilal.

Cancelo first played for Portugal's senior team in 2016. Before that, he played for all of Portugal's youth teams. He was part of Portugal's under-21 team that reached the 2015 UEFA European Championship final. He also helped Portugal win the first UEFA Nations League in 2019.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Benfica

João Cancelo was born in Barreiro, Portugal. He began playing football at a local club called Barreirense. When he was 13, in 2007, he joined Benfica's youth system. He played as a full-back there.

In 2012, Cancelo played his first game for Benfica's main team. It was a friendly match against Gil Vicente. He played the whole game as a right-back. Even though he was part of the reserve team, people thought he could join the senior team. In 2013, he scored two important goals to help Benfica's junior team win the national championship.

Cancelo played his first official game for Benfica's main team in January 2014. He came in as a substitute in a game they won against Gil Vicente. He also played his first Primeira Liga game in May 2014. Benfica had already won the league title that season.

Time at Valencia

Becoming a Regular Player

Cancelo playing for Valencia in 2015

In August 2014, Cancelo joined Valencia on a one-year loan. He made his La Liga debut in September, playing the full game in a 3–0 win. He started as a substitute but later became a regular player. He sometimes played as a right winger. His good performances helped Valencia qualify for the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League. Because of this, Valencia signed him permanently in May 2015.

In the next season, Cancelo became a regular starter. He scored his first goal for Valencia in the UEFA Champions League in September 2015. This made him one of the youngest players to score for Valencia in the Champions League. He also scored his first goal in the Copa del Rey in December. In April, he scored his first league goal in a 4–0 win.

Final Season and Loan to Inter Milan

In the 2016–17 season, Cancelo's play was a bit up and down. He made some mistakes, but his performances improved. He played often as both a right-back and a right-winger. In April, he scored his first league goal of the season. He made a gesture to the fans who had criticized him, but he quickly apologized.

In August 2017, Cancelo joined Inter Milan on a one-year loan. He made his Serie A debut a few days later. He got a knee injury in August 2017 while playing for his country. This kept him out of action for about a month and a half. He returned to play in a big game against AC Milan. In April 2018, he scored his first goal for Inter with a free kick. Even though he played well, Inter Milan decided not to buy him permanently. He was still named in the Serie A's Team of the Year.

Joining Juventus

Cancelo (right) playing for Juventus in 2018

On June 27, 2018, Juventus signed Cancelo on a five-year contract. He played his first league game for them in August. He won his first trophy with Juventus in January 2019, the Supercoppa Italiana. He scored his first league goal that same month, helping his team win 2–1. He also helped win a penalty kick that led to a goal by Cristiano Ronaldo. In October, he provided an assist for a goal. In December, he assisted another goal against his former club, Inter Milan.

In April 2019, Cancelo assisted a goal for Cristiano Ronaldo in a Champions League match. Juventus was later knocked out of the competition. A few days later, Cancelo played in the match where Juventus won their eighth league title in a row.

Time at Manchester City

First Season and Challenges

On August 7, 2019, Cancelo joined Premier League club Manchester City. He signed a six-year contract. He made his Premier League debut in August, coming on as a substitute. In December, he scored his first goal for City in a cup game.

At first, Cancelo found it hard to settle in at Manchester City. He struggled to find his best position and compete for a starting spot.

Breakthrough and European Final

Cancelo playing for Manchester City in 2021

In October 2020, Cancelo made his first league start of the new season. In November, he scored his first Champions League goal for City. In January 2021, he scored his first Premier League goal. In February, he was named man of the match in a Champions League game.

During this season, Cancelo became a very important player for Manchester City. He was praised for his ability to move from full-back into the middle of the field. This helped his team control the ball and defend better. His play was a key reason Manchester City won the Premier League title. He was also named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.

Winning More Titles

In October 2021, Cancelo scored his first goal of the season in a Champions League game. In November, he provided three assists in another Champions League match. He was named man of the match again. In the Manchester derby in November, he helped create both goals in a 2–0 win against Manchester United. In December, on his 100th game for the club, he scored a long-range goal and provided an assist.

Loan to Bayern Munich

On January 31, 2023, Cancelo was loaned to Bayern Munich for the rest of the season. Reports said he had some disagreements with his manager, Pep Guardiola, about not playing enough. He had started losing his spot in the team.

Cancelo played his first game for Bayern in a cup win. He assisted a goal in that match. In March, he scored his first goal for Bayern in a league game. In April, he played against his parent club, Manchester City, in the Champions League. He came on as a substitute and was booed by some City fans. Guardiola defended him, saying his quality was clear. Bayern was knocked out of the Champions League. In May, Cancelo played the full game as Bayern won their 11th league title in a row. He became one of the few players to win two league titles in different countries in one season.

Bayern Munich decided not to buy Cancelo permanently at the end of the season.

Loan to Barcelona

After his loan at Bayern, Cancelo returned to Manchester City for pre-season. However, he did not play in any of their first few league games. He wanted to move to another club. In August 2023, Cancelo agreed to join Barcelona. The club's manager, Xavi, really wanted to sign him. On September 1, Barcelona confirmed that Cancelo joined them on a season-long loan.

He made his debut two days later as a substitute. On September 16, Cancelo scored his first goal for Barcelona in a big 5–0 win. This goal won him the La Liga Goal of the Month award. He also provided an assist and scored a last-minute winning goal in another game. In November, he scored and assisted in a Champions League comeback win against Porto. This secured Barcelona's spot in the next round of the Champions League.

Moving to Al-Hilal

On August 27, 2024, Cancelo signed a three-year contract with Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal.

Playing for Portugal

Youth Teams

Cancelo playing for Portugal U19 in 2012

Cancelo played for Portugal's under-19 team in 2012 and 2013. He also played for the under-20 team in the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He was part of the under-21 squad that reached the final of the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2015.

Senior Team

Cancelo was first called up to the senior team in August 2016. He played the full game in a 5–0 friendly win and scored a goal. In the next month, he scored two more goals in World Cup qualifiers.

In May 2018, Cancelo was in the first list of players for the World Cup in Russia, but he did not make the final team. He played in all four matches of the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League group stage. This helped Portugal qualify for the first Nations League Finals in June 2019. Portugal won the trophy by beating the Netherlands 1–0.

Cancelo was supposed to play in UEFA Euro 2020 in June 2021. However, he tested positive for COVID-19 just before the first match and was replaced.

In October 2022, he was named in Portugal's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. He started Portugal's first group games. But he later lost his starting spot. In the quarter-final against Morocco, Portugal lost 1–0 and was knocked out.

During UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying, Cancelo played nine times and scored three goals. Portugal won all ten of their matches. In May 2024, Cancelo was chosen for Portugal's squad for UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany. He played in the opening match and assisted a goal in another game. Portugal was eliminated in the quarter-finals after losing a penalty shootout to France.

How João Cancelo Plays

Cancelo is known for his speed, energy, and attacking skills. He is also good at dribbling, being creative, and crossing the ball. He can play as a full-back or winger on both sides of the field, but he usually plays on the right. When he was at Manchester City, many people thought he was one of the best full-backs in Europe. While he is great at attacking, some say his defensive skills and positioning could be better.

When he plays as a traditional full-back, he makes good runs forward. He likes to move forward with the ball and receive passes to his feet. He can cut inside from the right or go around defenders. He is good at dribbling with both feet, which makes him hard to defend against. His speed also helps him get back quickly when his team loses the ball.

Under manager Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Cancelo became a special kind of player. He could play as both a full-back and a central midfielder in the same game. When City didn't have the ball, Cancelo would move into central midfield. This helped his team control the middle of the field. He became one of City's most creative players, often making passes into the penalty area or through defenders. This way of playing helped City's attack and defense.

Personal Life

In January 2013, João Cancelo faced a very sad time in his life. His mother passed away in a car accident. João and his brother were also in the car but only had minor injuries. This was a difficult moment for him, and he even thought about quitting football.

João Cancelo and his girlfriend Daniela Machado had a daughter in 2019. In December 2021, his home in Manchester was broken into. Some of his jewelry was stolen. João was hurt trying to protect his family, but thankfully, his family was safe.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Portugal score listed first, score column indicates score after each Cancelo goal.

List of international goals scored by João Cancelo

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	September 1, 2016	Estádio do Bessa, Porto, Portugal	1	Gibraltar	3–0	5–0	Friendly
2	October 7, 2016	Estádio Municipal de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal	2	Andorra	3–0	6–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
3	October 10, 2016	Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands	3	Faroe Islands	6–0	6–0	2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
4	September 5, 2020	Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal	16	Croatia	1–0	4–1	2020–21 UEFA Nations League A
5	June 9, 2021	Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal	26	Israel	3–0	4–0	Friendly
6	June 5, 2022	Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal	33	Switzerland	4–0	4–0	2022–23 UEFA Nations League A
7	June 9, 2022	Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal	34	Czech Republic	1–0	2–0	2022–23 UEFA Nations League A
8	March 23, 2023	Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal	41	Liechtenstein	1–0	4–0	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
9	October 16, 2023	Bilino Polje Stadium, Zenica Bosnia and Herzegovina	48	Bosnia and Herzegovina	4–0	5–0	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
10	November 16, 2023	Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein	49	Liechtenstein	2–0	2–0	UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying

Awards and Trophies

Benfica

• Primeira Liga: 2013–14

Juventus

• Serie A: 2018–19
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2018

Manchester City

• Premier League: 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23
• FA Cup: 2022–23
• EFL Cup: 2020–21

Bayern Munich

• Bundesliga: 2022–23

Portugal U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2015

Portugal

• UEFA Nations League: 2018–19

Individual Awards

• Serie A Team of the Year: 2017–18, 2018–19
• PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2020–21, 2021–22
• ESM Team of the Year: 2020–21, 2021–22
• UEFA Champions League Fantasy Football Team of the Season: 2021–22
• FIFA FIFPRO World 11: 2022
• La Liga Goal of the Month: September 2023

See also

In Spanish: João Cancelo para niños