Joao Cancelo reached soccer’s elite during his time at Manchester City, where he became one of Pep Guardiola’s most influential players, earning global recognition. However, internal issues led to his loan departure, and FC Barcelona seized the opportunity to bring him in. At the Catalan club, Cancelo rediscovered his form, winning over fans with his brilliance on the pitch. In an interview, Joao Cancelo was asked about the greatest player in FIFA World Cup history, and his answer caught many by surprise.
In a video released by FIFA in 2023, Joao Cancelo was asked about who in his perspective was the best player in the history of the FIFA World Cup and he answered: “The best player in the history of the World Cup? This is very, very difficult. I want to put a Portuguese… (then) Cristiano.”
Joao Cancelo’s statements attracted attention because he chose as the best player of this competition a player who has never won it and who has not even reached a World Cup final. However, he explained that he wanted to choose a Portuguese player.
What makes these statements by Joao Cancelo so surprising?
It was even more surprising that Cancelo did not choose Lionel Messi, who led Argentina to two World Cup finals, winning the most recent edition and earning MVP honors. Interestingly, Cancelo made these remarks just a few months after joining FC Barcelona on loan, sharing his thoughts on the 1PARA1 podcast:
Joao Cancelo and Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus celebrate after winning the Italian Supercup match between Juventus and AC Milan at King Abdullah Sports City on January 16, 2019 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“I have always been a Barcelona fan. Of course, more in the golden era, from about 2008 onwards, I grew up watching Barcelona play. For me, I grew up watching the best team in soccer play, which is Barcelona in 2009, and a lot of my idols played here,” stated Joao Cancelo on December of 2023.
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What makes Cancelo’s statement even more intriguing is his long-standing support for FC Barcelona since 2008. Despite his affection for FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi’s remarkable achievements, including a World Cup victory and being the fourth-highest scorer in tournament history with 13 goals, Cancelo chose Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 8 World Cup goals, as the greatest player in the competition’s history.
Joao Cancelo shares controversial comments about Cristiano Ronaldo
Despite Joao Cancelo’s previous praise for Cristiano Ronaldo, their relationship appears strained. Cancelo’s recent strong remarks about Ronaldo have ignited a heated debate in Portugal, raising questions about their dynamic both on and off the pitch:
“He is an important player and he spent 15 years competing with Messi for the Ballon d’Or, but the peak of a player’s career is between the ages of 25 and 32…He is an important player for us, but the national team The team does not depend entirely on him,” stated Joao Cancelo on RTP (Radio and Portuguese Television).
Joao Cancelo recently stated that Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer indispensable to the Portuguese national team, noting that his peak years are behind him, though he remains an important figure. These remarks seem to have caused tension, as the two players have not appeared particularly close in recent matches.
Cancelo clarified that his intention was to highlight the team’s growth, emphasizing that Portugal no longer relies on a single player, with stars like Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leao, and Bruno Fernandes now capable of leading the squad.
