Furious at Camp Nou! Cancelo denied his big unveiling at the last minute
João Cancelo's long-awaited Barcelona unveiling turned into a night of pure frustration.
Details: According to Transfer News Live, João Cancelo was furious after being told at the last minute that he would not be presented at the Camp Nou during tonight's Joan Gamper Trophy. The Portuguese defender had even brought along his shirt with his name and number on the back, fully expecting to be unveiled in front of the fans.
The reason is pure bureaucracy. The 32-year-old terminated the final year of his contract with Al-Hilal over the weekend and flew into Barcelona on Monday, posting a 'coming back home' message on his way to a permanent free transfer. However, the paperwork has not been fully finalized, so the club chose not to present him during the match against Al Ahly, even though he has already trained with the squad for two days. Sources insist there are no real problems with the deal.
For Cancelo this is already the third chapter of his Barcelona story: after a loan in the 2023/24 season, he returned on another loan in January 2026 and helped the Catalans win La Liga, scoring two goals in 23 appearances. It's worth noting that the Portuguese accepted a significant salary reduction to make this permanent return happen.
Reminder: Al Ahly SC have arrived in Barcelona for the 2026 Joan Gamper Trophy.
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
