Portugal defender João Cancelo returns to Barcelona on loan from Al-Hilal

By Canadian Press on January 13, 2026.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Barcelona said Tuesday that Portugal defender João Cancelo is back with the club on a loan from Saudi Arabia club Al-Hilal.

Barcelona said Cancelo signed a contract through the end of the season.

The 31-year-old Cancelo had played for the Catalan club in the 2023-24 season on a loan from Manchester City. He appeared in 42 matches at the time, scoring four goals and providing five assists. He then moved to Al-Hilal, where he played 45 matches.

Cancelo had previously played for Benfica, Valencia, Inter Milan, Juventus and Bayern Munich, in addition to Man City.

Barcelona leads the Spanish league at its halfway point, four points ahead of second-place Real Madrid.

The Catalan club sits in 15th place in the league phase of the Champions League.

It’s next match is at Racing on Thursday in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The Associated Press