Joao Cancelo accuses Al-Hilal of breaking promises

Portuguese defender Joao Cancelo has accused the management of Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal of failing to keep their promises. According to the player, club officials had guaranteed his registration for the Saudi Pro League, but ultimately failed to do so, reports Goal.com. reports .

In an interview with DAZN, Cancelo clarified the situation: "There were people at Al-Hilal who did not tell me the truth. They told me they would include me in the squad, but when the time came, they went back on their word. I always keep my word and hold no grudges against anyone."

Currently on loan at Barcelona, the defender has regained his best form under Hansi Flick. He won the 2025-26 La Liga title with the Catalans, adding another major trophy to his career achievements.

Al-Hilal does not want to let the player go for free and is demanding 15 million euros for his transfer. Barcelona, however, intends to keep Cancelo only as a free agent, which complicates negotiations between the parties.

It is worth noting that the 31-year-old defender has managed to win titles in four of Europe's top 5 leagues during his career. He previously won the Premier League with Manchester City, Serie A with Juventus, and the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.