João Cancelo wins LaLiga’s September Goal of the Month

João Cancelo won the EA SPORTS LaLiga Goal of the Month award for September 2026 with the strike that opened FC Barcelona’s 7–2 victory over Real Racing. The goal came eight minutes into the first half on September 16: a curling right-footed effort from outside the box that hit the crossbar before going in.

LaLiga officially announced the result on October 1. The recognition is therefore more than the goal’s inclusion in an editorial selection of highlights.

Which goal won the award

Cancelo received the ball outside the penalty area and struck a powerful right-footed shot. According to LaLiga’s description, the curling trajectory beat goalkeeper Agirrezabala, hit the crossbar and ended up in the net. It opened the scoring in Barcelona 7–2 Real Racing, a Matchday 6 fixture played at Spotify Camp Nou.

The official page also records that this was Cancelo’s first start of the season. He remained on the pitch until the 78th minute and received an ovation when substituted. Those details help identify the correct goal among the player’s various September highlights.

A confirmed result, not a best-goals list

There is an important distinction between receiving an official award and appearing in a compilation of notable plays. The LALIGA EA SPORTS competition page categorizes the item under “Prizes,” names Cancelo as the winner and again states that his strike against Racing opened the scoring.

The club’s announcement provides separate confirmation within the available institutional sources. On the FC Barcelona news page, the October 1 item says the goal against Racing was named the month’s best.

How the voting works

The official pages reviewed confirm the winner, but they do not say how many votes were cast, who was eligible to vote, how long voting remained open or whether public votes were combined with a technical assessment. Without regulations or a preserved voting page among the supplied sources, a specific selection method cannot be attributed to this award.

This LaLiga award should not be confused with a vote held through Barcelona’s official app for the club’s best moment of September. The club’s news page says supporters selected the 7–2 win over Racing from four candidates in that separate poll. The results concern the same match but recognize different things: one rewards an individual goal; the other identifies a club moment of the month.

Cancelo’s second award

LaLiga says this is Cancelo’s second Goal of the Month win. His previous award came in September 2023, during his first spell at Barcelona, for an away goal against Real Betis. In that move, he advanced on the right, cut inside and sent a shot across goal.

The comparison makes clear that the latest honor is not a republication of the 2023 recognition. The 2026 award specifically belongs to his long-range strike against Real Racing.

Where to check the official record

LaLiga’s announcement brings together the goal description, match date, score and the player’s history in the award. The competition page also lists the result among the official news for the 2026/27 season. Because video and digital content can vary by country or change availability, check the material through those links without assuming broadcast or access in every territory.

In short, the winning strike was the opening goal in Barcelona 7–2 Real Racing, scored by Cancelo in the eighth minute. The award result is confirmed; the operational details of the vote are not disclosed in the official sources reviewed.