FC Barcelona recently experienced an unusual administrative hiccup during the announcement of Portuguese full-back João Cancelo's return to the club on a loan deal. On Tuesday, January 13, 2026, Barcelona briefly published official announcements across its website and social media platforms confirming Cancelo's arrival on loan from Saudi club Al-Hilal until the end of the season. However, these posts, including the official statement, were swiftly deleted, causing confusion among fans and media. Credible reports indicate the reason for the sudden deletion was an administrative delay, not related to any sporting issues or a collapse of the deal. Journalist Guillem Borras Perez, among others, clarified that Barcelona and Al-Hilal were still finalizing the necessary documentation and exchanging papers to formally complete the transfer. The club reportedly acknowledged internally that it had acted too quickly in making the announcement public before all bureaucratic processes, including the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and final sign-off from Al-Hilal, were fully completed. This premature announcement led to the quick retraction to ensure compliance with regulations. Despite the temporary embarrassment and the delay in his official presentation, Cancelo had already passed his medical, and the loan move is expected to proceed as planned, marking his second stint at Camp Nou, following his initial loan from Manchester City in 2023.