• Joao Cancelo is arguably the most exhiarating full-back on the planet

• The 28-year-old has helped Portugal reach the knockout phase at Qatar 2022

• His former coach and team-mate chat to FIFA+ about Cancelo

Having played a key role in helping Portugal qualify for the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, big things are expected of Joao Cancelo for the rest of the tournament. He has revolutionised the position of full-back with his consistently scintillating play, goals and assists at Manchester City. He is now displaying his expertise with the ball at his feet on football’s biggest stages, but for those in the know that was always Cancelo’s destiny. “Joao is somebody who’s happy whenever he’s got the ball,” Helder Cristovao, the former Portugal centre-back who coached Cancelo in Benfica’s youth ranks, told FIFA+. “In technical terms, I see him playing today the same way he played at youth level. “However, looking at the responsibilities he takes on now, it is night and day. Pep Guardiola’s game is very beneficial for him. In his first year at City, Guardiola had doubts, but afterwards he gave him licence to roam around the pitch – on the left, on the right, in the centre – wherever.

“This allowed Joao that joy of always having the ball at his feet. His moments of suffering in this sense are few and far between at City. Joao always read the game quicker than others. He would discover space where nobody else could. “And from a physical point of view, he has the profile of an elite sportsman. He’s strong, he’s 1.85 metres tall, and even playing every midweek and weekend he’s always fit. He just had to be a footballer.” The only thing lacking now is for the 28-year-old to bring the World Cup trophy home. It would be the consecration of a career that has had its ups and downs, which has drawn gushing praise, but where his strong personality has had to play its part. Rebellious by nature, time has taught him to control his nerves and let his talent do the talking. Cancelo’s football ability has never been a problem. The same cannot be said about his hot head. Indeed, when Cancelo joined Benfica’s B team, Cristovao was warned to keep a close eye on him. “When these footballers are on the rise and skipping some of their development stages, they tend to create a certain resistance to coaches,” recalled the ex-Paris Saint-Germain, Newcastle United and Benfica player. “Joao had been marked out internally for his behaviour and the difficulty he had in accepting criticism. It was up to us to make him trust that what we were telling him was the best for him at that time.”

His mentality was also forged by a family tragedy in 2013. A car accident resulted in the death of his mother, while Cancelo and his brother were injured. The immediate reaction of the then 18-year-old was to end his career, but he was persuaded to continue by his father. That season, Benfica midfielder Filipe Nascimento scored for the youth team and dedicated the goal to his team-mate. “It was an extremely tough time,” said Felipe. “Nobody expects to lose their mother so young and nobody really knows how to comfort a friend in that situation. “He was always very close to his mother and we all knew that. We simply let him work through it in his own time to find a certain peace in his life. I’m sure this event has left him hurt forever, but it also gave him strength and extra motivation to achieve everything he has achieved for his mother and his family.” As happened with other young starlets of his generation, Cancelo ended up leaving Benfica before he could make his mark, only playing twice for the first team. “It wasn’t easy getting over the behavioural side of things, and perhaps because of that he was transferred and did not make it at Benfica,” explained Cristovao. “But the talent was always there and among ourselves, as a club, we talked about the fact we could not stifle talent. When the potential is there, it may take a bit longer to show, but it will come to the fore.” Such was the case with Cancelo. He played for Valencia and improved his defensive game at Inter Milan and Juventus before switching to City as the most expensive full-back in history, costing the English club 65 million euros. “Joao was one of those footballers who we always knew would go far, thanks to his talent,” said Felipe. “He had a big-player personality. There was some concern, when we were younger, that his impulsive reactions could hold him back, but I think it’s this strong personality that has allowed him to reach where he’s reached.” A genuinely multipurpose player, Cancelo has redefined the position of full-back in recent years and is aiming to have the same impact at Qatar 2022.