Vacation cut short: Cancelo returns to steer Al Hilal after a surprising break
4 December 2025
Update
Portuguese Joao Cancelo, the right-back for Saudi club Al Hilal, had to cut short the vacation he had taken with his teammates.
Coach Jorge Jesus, the manager of Al Hilal, had granted the players a lengthy break after the four-to-one win over Al Fateh in the King's Cup quarterfinals, earning a place in the semifinals.
Saudi daily newspaper al-Yawm reported that Jesus asked Cancelo to return to participate in training with the club's under-21 squad.
The decision follows the club's plan to register the Portuguese international on the domestic list, after initial registration restricted him to the Asian list due to a serious September injury that sidelined him for two months, allowing the staff to use the foreign slot for another player.
Since joining, Cancelo has delivered standout numbers, scoring three goals and providing 14 assists in 44 appearances across all competitions.
Punchline 1: If rest were a trophy, Cancelo would clearly be on the podium.
Punchline 2: He cut his vacation short—turns out even holidays have a transfer window.
