joao cancelo became the first player to win each of Europe’s top four major leagues after Barcelona were crowned LaLiga champions against Real Madrid. The Barcelona fullback added Spain to a career that had already taken him through Italy, England and Germany.
Barcelona and Cancelo
Barcelona’s title clinched the last piece of the set for Cancelo. He spent the entire 2023-24 campaign on loan at Barcelona, then returned on loan in January this season after signing for Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal in the summer of 2024.
That path had left his European future looking less certain, but the title moved him into a bracket no other player had reached. The achievement now spans Valencia, Juventus, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
From Valencia to Bayern Munich
Cancelo played for Valencia between 2014 and 2018 before moving to Juventus for the 2018-19 season and winning Serie A there. He then became a key player under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in the 2020-21 season and the 2021-22 season, and won the Premier League three times with the club.
His final stop before this Barcelona title came in the final four months of the 2022-23 season, when he was loaned to Bayern Munich and won the Bundesliga. That sequence gave him league titles in Spain, Italy, England and Germany, the exact four competitions that define Europe’s top domestic tier.
Europe’s top four leagues
The milestone is unusual because it required sustained success across different clubs and different countries, not one long run at a single side. Cancelo’s list now includes Valencia, Juventus, Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, with silverware in each of Europe’s top four major leagues.
For Barcelona, the LaLiga title completes the season’s work against Real Madrid. For Cancelo, it turns a loan return in January this season into a record-setting finish that no other player has managed.
