Barcelona “vindicated” by defender’s 2026 World Cup performances | OneFootball

With the 2026 World Cup ongoing, Barcelona have been forced to slow down their transfer plans for the summer. Two of their leading targets, namely Julian Alvarez and Joao Cancelo, are competing at the tournament in North America, and thus, there is unlikely to be movement on either of their futures for a few weeks.

Alvarez’s case has been much documented in recent days, especially given that he publicly expressed his desire to leave Atletico Madrid this summer. Barcelona are readying a bid, although it is unlikely to be submitted until later, given they want to bide their time – which is also what they have been forced to do with Cancelo.

In an ideal world, Barcelona would have already signed Cancelo permanently, until now, they have been able to come to an agreement with Al Hilal, who have since suspended talks while they get their sporting situation in order. Nevertheless, the Catalans will work hard to ensure that a deal is eventually done, as they see him as a necessary signing for next season onwards.

Furthermore, Barcelona see their decision as having been even more vindicated by Cancelo’s performances for Portugal at the World Cup. As per Sport, there has been a lot of delight and satisfaction that how the 32-year-old has played in North America, with the belief being that he is showing himself to be one of the most decisive full-backs in the world.

Barcelona willing to include player in Cancelo deal

Barcelona are desperate to re-sign Cancelo, which is why they are prepared to include Marc Casado in a deal. Al Hilal have shown a lot of interest in the La Masia graduate, who has already decided to leave this summer in search of regular first team football, although it remains to be seen whether a deal can be agreed regarding both players.