Joao Cancelo has written his name into the history books following Barcelona’s clinical 2-0 victory over Real Madrid to secure the La Liga title. While the Blaugrana celebrated domestic dominance at the Camp Nou, the Portuguese defender reached a milestone that has eluded the greatest icons of the game.
A historic Clasico triumph
The Blaugrana secured the Spanish top-flight crown after a win against their bitter rivals in Sunday night's El Clasico at the Camp Nou. In doing so, they have achieved a historic first by winning La Liga as a result of a direct match against Los Blancos. Barcelona only needed to avoid defeat against Alvaro Arbeloa's side, as they led Real by 11 points going into the 35th game of the campaign.
Hansi Flick’s men delivered the goods in style, recording their 11th successive league victory on a night of double celebration. A stunning free-kick from Marcus Rashford - the first such goal in a Clasico since Lionel Messi in 2012 - was followed by a Ferran Torres strike to confirm Barca's 29th league crown and leave their rivals in turmoil.
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Cancelo stands alone in the history books
For ex-Manchester City defender Cancelo, who won six major honours under Pep Guardiola, he has now finally won the league title that evaded him during his previous loan spell at Barca in the 2023-24 season. Brought back on loan from Saudi side Al Hilal in January, Cancelo, who appeared as a starter in last night's match, has been key in the club's stunning form in 2026, chipping in with one goal and three assists from 13 La Liga matches.
Deployed on both sides of defence, the 31-year-old has now become the first footballer to win league titles in four of Europe's 'Top Five' divisions. Having won the Primeira Liga with Benfica in 2014, the Serie A title with Juventus was the Portugal international's first 'Top Five' league championship. He then scooped three Premier League crowns while at the Etihad Stadium, before lifting the Bundesliga title while on loan at Bayern Munich. Now, with a La Liga medal secured, only France's Ligue 1 remains for him to complete the set.
Outperforming the legends
A host of legendary players have won league championships in three of the 'Top Five' leagues, but none could reach the fourth. David Beckham had the opportunity to become the first person to achieve the incredible feat; he was successful in England, Spain and France, but failed to win the Serie A title across two loan spells at AC Milan. Similarly, Cristiano Ronaldo triumphed in England, Spain and Italy, but never added a fourth major league to his haul.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic also came up trumps in Spain, Italy and France, and had the chance to create history when he joined Manchester United in 2016. However, he finished sixth in his only full season in the Premier League, though he did win the Europa League, League Cup and Community Shield. Other notable players to win titles in three major countries include Thierry Henry, Kingsley Coman, Dani Alves, Arturo Vidal, Maxwell, Sami Khedira and Claude Makelele.
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What lies ahead for the history-maker?
Despite his loan deal from Al Hilal proving incredibly successful, questions remain regarding Cancelo's long-term future. It remains to be seen what the future holds for Cancelo come the summer, and whether Barcelona press ahead with another loan deal, look to turn his temporary stay into a permanent switch or if he returns to the Middle East.
There is, of course, the tantalising prospect of completing the "Top Five" set. With titles in England, Spain, Italy, and Germany secured, only France's Ligue 1 remains. Should Cancelo decide to leave the Camp Nou this summer, a move to a French powerhouse could provide the platform for the ultimate clean sweep of Europe's major championships.
- Donny Afroni
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