João Cancelo has etched his name into football history by becoming the first player ever to win league titles in four of Europe’s top five domestic competitions.
The milestone was achieved after Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 2-0 on Sunday evening, securing their second consecutive La Liga title. Cancelo played the full 90 minutes at Camp Nou to help his side claim the crown.
The 31-year-old Portuguese full-back started his run of major league triumphs in the 2018/19 season with Juventus, where he lifted the Serie A trophy alongside international teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, finishing 11 points clear of second-placed Napoli.
After moving to Manchester City the following season, Cancelo had to wait until his second year in England to win the Premier League title. Following a strained relationship with manager Pep Guardiola, he was loaned to Bayern Munich for the second half of the 2022/23 campaign. Under Thomas Tuchel, the Bavarians clinched the Bundesliga title on the final matchday, adding a third top-five league to Cancelo’s collection.
Now with Barcelona’s back-to-back La Liga titles, Cancelo has won four of the five elite European leagues. Across all these title-winning clubs in the Big 5 leagues, he has contributed 16 goals and 40 assists in 271 appearances.
The only league missing from his collection is Ligue 1 in France, leaving the door open for a potential future challenge to complete the set.