Joao Cancelo sends cryptic message after Barcelona’s Clasico defeat

Joao Cancelo has posted a message centred on self-belief and resilience after Barcelona followed their defeat by Paris Saint-Germain with a loss to Real Madrid.

The Portugal international shared a black-and-white photograph of himself from behind on social media on Tuesday. He accompanied the image with the song “Yo creo en mi” by El Armenio, whose lyrics focus on enduring difficult moments, recovering after setbacks and maintaining faith in one’s own ability despite pressure.

Cancelo did not add any written caption to the post. Instead, he left the photograph and the song to convey what appeared to be a personal response to the criticism and difficult results surrounding Barcelona.

The full-back has previously used social media to answer his critics. After Barcelona’s match against Paris Saint-Germain at Parc des Princes, he published a more direct message about the demands of competing at the highest level and the pressure placed on players.

“Everyone in the stands is an expert, and I would like to see them come down on to the pitch and deal with the pressure,” Cancelo wrote at the time.

He accompanied that earlier post with “They Don’t Care About Us” by American singer Michael Jackson.

Cancelo’s latest publication continues the same theme of confidence and determination in the face of criticism. It comes as Barcelona attempt to recover from consecutive defeats by Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid and regain their balance.

Barcelona are listed to face Deportivo Alaves in La Liga on 31 October 2026. The other listed La Liga fixture is Racing Santander against Real Madrid on 01 November 2026.