Joao Cancelo has become the first footballer to win league titles in four of Europe’s ‘Top Five’ divisions following Barcelona’s La Liga title success.
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.
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.
Barcelona’s La Liga Triumph
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 was followed by a Ferran Torres strike to confirm Barca’s 29th league crown and leave their rivals in turmoil.
Cancelo’s Milestone
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.
Legends Who Fell Short
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.
Uncertain Future for Cancelo
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.