Joao Cancelo reunites with Pep Guardiola two and a half years after leaving Manchester City on loan. We take a look at what happened between the manager and the full-back that led to the breakdown of their relationship, despite Cancelo having just enjoyed the best season of his career.
Manchester City and Al-Hilal face off in a last-16 clash at the Club World Cup with added intrigue. Joao Cancelo, who left the Sky Blues two and a half years ago, will come face to face once more with his former coach Pep Guardiola. Their parting was far from amicable, though time seems to have eased tensions.
Cancelo joined City in the summer of 2019 following a brief spell at Juventus. He settled quickly at the Etihad Stadium, revolutionising the full-back role under the coach's guidance.
Their partnership flourished, culminating in the player's inclusion in FIFA's Best XI for 2022. During his time, he won three Premier League titles, two EFL Cups, one FA Cup, the Champions League, and a UEFA Super Cup.
However, just months after completing the treble, their relationship fractured. Despite delivering the best season of his career, Cancelo lost his automatic place.
In December 2022, he played just 22 minutes as a substitute and, following City's derby defeat to United in January, he was dropped from the starting lineup. After three matches on the bench, Cancelo departed for Bayern Munich on loan during the January transfer window, ending an era of 154 appearances, nine goals, and 21 assists for City.
Though initially loaned out, and having later spent time at Barcelona, Cancelo officially ended his City chapter a year ago when he transferred to Al-Hilal for €25 million.
Speaking to Canal 11 a few months ago about his relationship with Guardiola, the 31-year-old was far from bitter: "We each took our own path, but I thank God I worked with him. I felt important in that group. He helped me grow as a person and a player."
He added: "He's a genius, a global reference in coaching. The best moments of my career were at Manchester City. I enjoyed training and matches."
So what really happened between them? The key figure is Rico Lewis. After Cancelo's departure, journalist Marti Perarnau, close to Guardiola, explained on SER that Cancelo struggled to accept the emergence of the young academy graduate and Guardiola's preference for him.
"When Cancelo feels good, he feels very good—and he is very good. But when he feels bad, and I say that metaphorically, for whatever reason, the collapse is big," Perarnau explained in 2023.
Following the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Cancelo returned out of form, which prompted Guardiola to hand the starting role to 17-year-old Rico Lewis, placing the youngster ahead of one of the world's best full-backs from the previous season.
This deeply unsettled their previously strong relationship. English media also reported a heated argument before City's FA Cup tie against Arsenal—the last match Cancelo was called up for.
On Monday, the Portuguese and Spanish figures will meet again at Orlando's Camping World Stadium. It was inevitable. Cancelo is the player who has represented the most clubs—six—of all those in this Club World Cup.
With City finishing top of their group and Al-Hilal second in theirs, the tie was always going to happen. And now, here it is.