Barcelona win LaLiga against Real Madrid and Cancelo achieves a rare European soccer milestone.

Albert Gea

LaLiga

Joao Cancelo has just achieved something no soccer player has ever done - LaLiga glory seals his place in history

Digital sports journalist

Scottish sports journalist and content creator. After running his own soccer-related projects, in 2022 he joined Diario AS, where he mainly reports on the biggest news from around Europe’s leading soccer clubs, Liga MX and MLS, and covers live games in a not-too-serious tone. Likes to mix things up by dipping into the world of American sports.

Update: May 10th, 2026 17:12 EDT

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Joao Cancelo has just made soccer history with Barcelona, who have been crowned LaLiga champions ahead of Real Madrid this season. The Portuguese fullback has become the first player to win each of Europe’s top four major leagues.

João Cancelo the first player on a mission to conquer all of Europe’s top leagues. 🏆🔥

Winning trophies in every top European league isn’t just rare… it’s almost impossible.
But Cancelo is making the impossible look possible. 💪✨

History is waiting… ⏳💙❤️ pic.twitter.com/QQApJ9x4qa
— Mosharof Hossain (@Mosharof221) May 10, 2026

From Valencia to Juventus: where it started

After making his name with Valencia between 2014 and 2018, Cancelo moved to Juventus for the 2018-19 season, where he won Serie A, the first league title of his career.

That move marked the start of a remarkable journey across Europe’s elite clubs, with trophies following him almost everywhere he went.

Manchester City and key role under Guardiola

Once his career comes to an end, Cancelo will perhaps be most associated with Manchester City, where he became a key player under Pep Guardiola, particularly during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

In England, he added significantly to his honors list, lifting the Premier League trophy three times during his spell at the Etihad Stadium.

Joao Cancelo with his daughter before kick off 😍 pic.twitter.com/J2D2uqEeKO
— Barça Xtra  (@XtraBarcaa) May 10, 2026

Loan spells and a Bundesliga title

However, a falling out with Guardiola saw Cancelo loaned out twice. The first move was to Bayern Munich for the final four months of the 2022-23 season, where he won the Bundesliga.

He then spent the entire 2023-24 campaign on loan at Barcelona, a difficult period in which he failed to win silverware as the club struggled for consistency.

His future at the top level in Europe appeared uncertain after he signed for Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal in the summer of 2024, before a surprise return to Barça on loan in January this season.

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