João Cancelo Recalls Mother's Fatal Accident: "I Remember Her Last Scream"

In an emotional interview on SIC's "Alta Definição" program, João Cancelo recounted the car accident that claimed the life of his mother, Filomena Cancelo, when the footballer was just 18 years old. The Portuguese international shared poignant details of the moment that forever altered his life.

The tragic incident occurred on a highway as the player traveled with his mother and his then eight-year-old brother. His mother did not survive the crash. "It was a matter of milliseconds that changed my life forever. I remember some things. I remember my mother's last scream. I remember my brother crying, still a child, at eight years old," Cancelo revealed in an excerpt from the interview, set to air this Saturday, June 13th, at 14h15.

The national team player, who wears the number 20 jersey, also described his desperate attempt to help at the accident scene. "I tried to lift the car to get my mother out from underneath, but I couldn't, I just couldn't. It was very dark, we were in the bushes, on the A2, on the cliff. I tried to lift [the car] with all my strength, but I couldn't; lifting a car is completely impossible," he explained.

The player also disclosed that visiting her grave in Portugal offers him a sense of peace. "It's like an obligation I have. It's where I feel good, next to her. Even if she's not physically there, I feel good. It cleanses my soul, my negative energies, and helps me live happier," he shared.

In December 2021, Cancelo was robbed at his home in Manchester while playing for City, an episode he also recalled.

"One of the assailants turned his back to me, and I felt an opportunity to do something. Today, I regret doing it, but I managed to punch him in the back of the head. He fell forward, and the knife dropped to the floor. I kicked the knife away and suddenly got hit with an iron bar on my head. This scar I have on my head to this day is from that; I needed eight stitches. I passed out. Then I woke up with a knife pointed at my neck..." the full-back emotionally recounted.