João Cancelo was born on 27 May 1994 in Barreiro, Portugal, and came through the youth academy at Benfica before breaking into senior football. After limited appearances for Benfica's first team, he moved to Valencia on loan in 2014, eventually signing permanently for €15 million. He developed steadily in La Liga, earning a loan move to Inter Milan in 2017–18 where his performances earned him a place in Serie A's Team of the Year.
That recognition attracted Juventus, who signed him in 2018 for a reported €40.4 million. He won the Serie A title and the Supercoppa Italiana in his single season there before joining Manchester City in 2019. At City, Cancelo became one of the more influential full-backs in the Premier League, particularly during the 2020–21 season when he was named in the PFA Team of the Year and played a key role in the club reaching their first UEFA Champions League final. He went on to win three Premier League titles and the EFL Cup during his time at the club.
A versatile, attack-minded full-back who is comfortable inverting into midfield, Cancelo has also had loan spells at Bayern Munich — where he won the Bundesliga in 2022–23 — and Barcelona. He signed for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal in 2024 before returning to Barcelona on loan in January 2026, where he is currently playing.
Cancelo made his senior international debut for Portugal in 2016 and has earned over 75 caps, scoring three goals. He won the inaugural UEFA Nations League with Portugal in 2018–19.