‘Step by step’ — Cancelo grounds Barcelona’s European hopes
João Cancelo made his first start of the season for FC Barcelona on Wednesday night, and he chose the occasion – a 5-1 Champions League win over Feyenoord – to speak openly about his ambitions with the club. The Portuguese full-back framed his hopes for the competition carefully, stressing that the campaign has only just begun even as the Blaugranes opened their European account in style. His comments came after a result that left little room for complaint, though Cancelo was quick to point out that Barcelona’s Champions League squad still has a long road ahead of it.
According to Marca, Cancelo made the remarks to FC Barcelona’s official media following the final whistle, with the outlet publishing his comments on 10 September 2026.
Cancelo said playing at home in the Champions League always carries a special weight for him, and admitted that lifting the trophy with Barcelona is exactly what excites him about the competition. He added that the squad will do everything possible to reach that goal, but was careful to temper the ambition by noting there is still a long way to go and that progress has to come step by step, even if the club is currently on the right path.
The context behind those words matters. Barcelona had set out to make a statement in their opening Champions League fixture of the season, and doing so against Feyenoord delivered exactly that. Cancelo praised both the result and the performance, while also referencing that the club had endured a difficult experience in the competition the previous season – a point he raised without elaborating further, simply framing Wednesday’s win as the right way to start correcting course.
The moment carried extra significance for Cancelo personally. Before facing Feyenoord, he had not started a single match this season, managing only around 30 minutes across Barcelona’s first three LaLiga fixtures. His return to the Barcelona side on Wednesday saw him complete the full 90 minutes, his most substantial involvement of the campaign so far.
For now, Cancelo’s outlook remains grounded in the immediate task rather than any guarantee of silverware. He was explicit that the team must continue taking things step by step, with the rest of the Champions League group phase still to unfold before any talk of knockout rounds becomes relevant.
