Araujo Bids Farewell to the World Cup, Repeats Qatar Scenario

Ronald Araujo, Barcelona and Uruguay defender, ended his journey in the 2026 World Cup without playing a single minute after his national team exited the tournament from the group stage following a loss to Spain, repeating what happened to him in the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

The Spanish newspaper 'Mundo Deportivo' explained that Araujo suffered a minor muscle injury in his calf before the tournament, which prevented him from participating in Uruguay's three group stage matches, despite traveling to Madrid for an intensive treatment program in hopes of joining the competitions.

The newspaper added that Araujo's absence coincided with Uruguay's exit from the tournament, as their journey fell short of expectations, settling for draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde before losing to Spain and exiting the competition in the first round.

This scenario repeats what happened in the 2022 World Cup when Araujo joined Uruguay's squad under Diego Alonso's leadership but did not participate due to an injury in the right thigh's adductor longus tendon he sustained before the tournament, which required him to undergo surgery.

The report indicated that Araujo will take a rest period to continue recovering from his current injury before returning to Barcelona in preparation for the new season. It is not expected that he will be present on the first days of the preparation period, while he is anticipated to join the team's training camp later.