Ronald Araújo

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Araújo and the second or maternal family name is da Silva.

Ronald Araújo

Araújo playing for Barcelona in 2021
Personal information
Full name	Ronald Federico Araújo da Silva[1]
Date of birth	(1999-03-07) 7 March 1999 (age 25)[2]
Place of birth	Rivera, Uruguay
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[3]
Position(s)	Centre-back, right-back
Team information
Current team	Barcelona
Number	4
Youth career
2012–2015	Huracán de Rivera
2015–2016	Rentistas
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2016–2017	Rentistas	17	(7)
2017–2018	Boston River	27	(0)
2018–2020	Barcelona B	42	(6)
2019–	Barcelona	107	(7)
International career^‡
2017–2018	Uruguay U18	6	(1)
2018–2019	Uruguay U20	12	(2)
2020–	Uruguay	20	(1)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Uruguay Copa América 2024 United States Team South American Games 2018 Cochabamba Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:28, 19 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 03:00, 7 July 2024 (UTC)

Ronald Federico Araújo da Silva (born 7 March 1999) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a defender for La Liga club Barcelona and the Uruguay national team. Primarily a centre-back, he also plays as a right-back on occasion. Known for his strength, pace and aerial presence, he is considered to be one of the best centre-backs in the world^[4][5][6][7]

Club career

Rentistas

Born to a Uruguayan father and a Brazilian mother in Rivera, a city near the Brazilian border,^[8][9][10] Araújo joined Rentistas from hometown club Huracán de Rivera.^[11] He made his senior debut with the former on 24 September 2016, coming on as a late substitute in a 1–0 Segunda División away win against Tacuarembó.

Araújo scored his first senior goal on 9 December 2016, netting the equaliser in a 2–2 home draw against Central Español. He became a regular starter during the 2017 season, and scored a hat-trick in a 3–2 away win over Villa Española on 17 June of that year.^[12]

It was at Rentistas that Araújo made the significant switch in position from forward to defender.^[13]

Boston River

On 28 July 2017, Araújo joined Primera División side Boston River.^[14] He made his debut in the category on 18 September, replacing Maximiliano Sigales late into a 1–0 home success over El Tanque Sisley.^[15]

Barcelona

On 29 August 2018, Araújo signed a five-year contract with FC Barcelona for a fee of €1.7 million, plus €3.5 million in variables; he was initially assigned to the reserves in Segunda División B.^[16] He made his first team – and La Liga – debut on 6 October of the following year, coming off the bench to replace Jean-Clair Todibo in the 73rd minute of a 4–0 home win against Sevilla; however, he was sent off in the 86th minute for fouling Javier Hernández.^[17]

For the 2020–21 season, Araújo was promoted to the main squad, being handed the number 4 jersey, which was previously worn by Ivan Rakitić.^[18] On 19 December 2020, he scored his first La Liga goal for Barcelona in a 2–2 home draw against Valencia.^[19]

On 20 March 2022, Araújo scored his first goal in El Clásico, heading in a corner from Ousmane Dembélé in a 4–0 away victory against the league leaders at Santiago Bernabéu.^[20]

For the first 21 league games of the 2022–23 season, Araújo formed a defensive partnership alongside Andreas Christensen and occasionally Jules Koundé at centre-back, helping Barcelona keep the most clean sheets (16) in all of Europe's top 5 leagues.^[21]

On 21 July 2023, Barcelona announced Araújo as the club's third captain.^[22] On 4 November 2023, he scored his first goal of the 2023–24 season in the 92nd minute of stoppage time in a 1–0 away win over Real Sociedad.^[23]

On 16 April 2024, Araújo received a straight red card for fouling Bradley Barcola in the first-half of Barcelona's Champions League quarter-final second leg match against Paris Saint-Germain which shifted the momentum in PSG's favor, turning the tide of the match despite Barcelona's two goal lead and eventually ended up losing 4–1 on the night, and 6–4 on aggregate.^[24][25][26]

International career

After representing Uruguay at under-18 and under-20 levels, Araújo received his first call up for the senior side on 5 October 2020, for two 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Ecuador.^[27]

He made his full international debut eight days later, starting in a 2–4 loss against the latter.^[28]

In June 2021, Araújo was included in the final 26-man Uruguay squad for the 2021 Copa América in Brazil, but he didn't feature in any of Uruguay's five games in the tournament while also suffering a muscle injury.^[29]

Despite nursing an injury, Araújo was included in the Uruguay squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, having expected a recovery during the knockout phase.^[30] However, he did not make an appearance as Uruguay were eliminated in the group stage.^[31]

On 16 November 2023, he scored his first goal with the national team against Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification fifth round at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires. In the 41st minute, Araújo received the ball after a Matías Viña's low cross into the penalty box and beat Argentine keeper Emiliano Martínez with a shot from the right side of the goal to the bottom left corner.^[32]

Style of play

Originally a striker, Araújo's physicality made his youth coaches move him to centre-back at age 17.^[33] Primarily a right-footed centre-back, Araújo is also comfortable playing as a right-back, a role in which he has been deployed on occasion to counter skilled wingers. Known for his defensive solidity, Araújo excels in one-on-one duels and has an ability to time his challenges effectively. His pace and athleticism allow him to recover quickly and cover large spaces, making him an invaluable asset in high defensive lines.^[34]

Brazilian winger Vinícius Júnior has called him ''The best defender I have ever faced. He's very strong and very good''.^[35]

Standing at 1.88 meters, Araújo is dominant in the air, both defensively and offensively. His aerial prowess makes him a constant threat from set pieces, where his ability to outjump opponents has led to crucial goals for both club and country.^[36]

Despite his defensive strength, his ball-playing abilities have often times been criticized. During the Champions League quarter-final, Luis Enriqué stated that he ordered his men to press Araújo when he had the ball.^[37] Araújo's defensive decision-making has alse been lacking as he sometimes lacks positional sense, and the sense of when to intercept and when to be proactive ^[38]

Personal life

Araújo is a devout Christian.^[39]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 19 May 2024^[40]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup[a]		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Rentistas	2016	Uruguayan Segunda División	3	1	—		—		—		3	1
	2017	Uruguayan Segunda División	14	6	—		—		—		14	6
	Total		17	7	—		—		—		17	7
Boston River	2017	Uruguayan Primera División	9	0	—		—		—		9	0
	2018	Uruguayan Primera División	18	0	—		4[b]	0	—		22	0
	Total		27	0	—		4	0	—		31	0
Barcelona B	2018–19	Segunda División B	22	3	—		—		—		22	3
	2019–20	Segunda División B	20	3	—		—		2[c]	0	22	3
	Total		42	6	—		—		2	0	44	6
Barcelona	2019–20	La Liga	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
	2020–21	La Liga	24	2	4	0	3[d]	0	2[e]	0	33	2
	2021–22	La Liga	30	4	2	0	10[f]	0	1[e]	0	43	4
	2022–23	La Liga	22	0	4	1	3[g]	0	2[e]	0	31	1
	2023–24	La Liga	25	1	2	0	8[d]	0	2[e]	0	37	1
	2024–25	La Liga	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		107	7	12	1	24	0	7	0	150	8
Career total			193	20	12	1	28	0	9	0	242	21

1. Includes Copa del Rey
2. Appearances in Copa Sudamericana
3. Appearances in Segunda División B play-offs
4. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
5. Appearance(s) in Supercopa de España
6. Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, five appearances in UEFA Europa League
7. One appearance in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League

International

As of match played 6 July 2024^[40]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Uruguay	2020	1	0
	2021	4	0
	2022	7	0
	2023	4	1
	2024	4	0
Total		20	1

As of match played 17 November 2023

Uruguay score listed first, score column indicates score after each Araújo goal.^[41]

List of international goals scored by Ronald Araújo

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	17 November 2023	La Bombonera, Buenos Aires, Argentina	15	Argentina	1–0	2–0	2026 FIFA World Cup qualification	[42]

Honours

Barcelona

• La Liga: 2022–23^[43]
• Copa del Rey: 2020–21^[44]
• Supercopa de España: 2023^[45]

Uruguay U20

• South American Games silver medal: 2018^[46]

Uruguay

• Copa América third place: 2024^[47]

Individual

• La Liga Team of the Season: 2021–22,^[48] 2023–24^[49]
• IFFHS Men's CONMEBOL Team: 2023^[50]

References

1. "Acta del Partido celebrado el 29 de agosto de 2021, en Barcelona" [Minutes of the Match held on 29 August 2021, in Barcelona] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
2. "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™: List of Players: Uruguay" (PDF). FIFA. 15 November 2022. p. 30. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
3. "Ronald Araujo". FC Barcelona. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
4. Chicken, Mark WhiteContributions from Steven; Rice-Coates, Callum; updated, Joe Mewis last (15 September 2023). "Ranked! The 10 best centre-backs in the world". fourfourtwo.com. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
5. Altimas, Callum (9 October 2023). "Ranking the 20 best defenders in world football right now". GiveMeSport. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
6. "Top 11 best centre-backs of 2023: Ranked". Khel Now. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
7. "Is Ronald Araújo the best central defender in the world? His level and his rivals to the 'title'". FCBN. 25 February 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
8. Quixano, Jordi (3 October 2020). "Ronald Araujo, el velocista que se mira en Puyol". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 February 2021.
9. Bona, German (11 October 2020). "Ronald Araujo, el central humilde que el Real Madrid no pudo 'birlar'". Sport (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 February 2021.
10. Cerezo, Hugo (21 December 2020). "Ronald Araujo: un soldado de Dios que esprinta a 35km/h y está bendecido por los jefes". Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 February 2021.
11. "Ronald Araújo: de Boston River a Barcelona" [Ronald Araújo: from Boston River to Barcelona] (in Spanish). Ovación. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
12. "Villa Española 2 Rentistas 3" (in Spanish). El Ascenso. 17 June 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
13. Lowe, Sid; @sidlowe (23 February 2023). "Barcelona's Ronald Araújo: 'I came from a different football. But I told myself, I have to play here'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
14. "Boston River: llega Ronald Araújo" [Boston River: Ronald Araújo arrives] (in Spanish). Tenfield. 28 July 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
15. "Boston River volvió a festejar, 1:0" [Boston River celebrate again, 1–0] (in Spanish). Tenfield. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
16. "Acuerdo con el Boston River para el traspaso de Ronald Araujo" [Agremeent with Boston River for the transfer of Ronald Araujo] (in Spanish). FC Barcelona. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
17. Dembélé and Araújo sent off during Barcelona win over Sevilla; Diario AS. 6 October 2019, Retrieved 18 August 2020
18. "Riqui Puig y Araújo ya son jugadores del primer equipo" [Riqui Puig and Araújo are already first team players] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
19. "Araujo is a man of many talents". Marca. 19 December 2020.
20. "Barcelona thrash leaders Real Madrid". BBC Sport. 20 March 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
21. "Ronald Araujo vital as Barcelona nab 16th clean sheet, push LaLiga title further from Real Madrid". ESPN. 13 February 2023.
22. "FC Barcelona's new captains confirmed". www.fcbarcelona.com. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
23. "Ronald Araujo scores only goal as Barcelona snatch win over Real Sociedad". beIN SPORTS. 4 November 2023.
24. "Xavi: 'Araujo red card changed everything'". www.fcbarcelona.com. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
25. "Ronald Araujo's red card turned UEFA Champions League tie in Paris Saint-Germain's favour, says Rio Ferdinand". Eurosport. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
26. "Ronald Araujo gesture explained as furious Barcelona star sent off during PSG showdown". The Mirror. 16 April 2024.
27. "Primera convocatoria de Ronald Araujo con la absoluta de Uruguay" [First call up of Ronald Araújo with the full side of Uruguay] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
28. "Ecuador barre a la Uruguay de Suárez, Valverde y Araujo (4–2)" [Ecuador beat Suárez, Valverde and Araújo's Uruguay (4–2)] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
29. "Plantel de Uruguay para la Copa América" [Uruguay squad for the Copa América] (in Spanish). auf.org. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
30. "Araujo included in Uruguay squad". FC Barcelona. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
31. "Uruguay beat Ghana but crash out of World Cup on goals scored in late twist". The Guardian. 2 December 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
32. "Ronald Araujo abrió el marcador para Uruguay ante Argentina". ESPN (in Spanish). 16 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
33. "Ronald Araujo: Barcelona's Uruguayan Colossus in Defense - Breaking The Lines". 22 May 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
34. "Is Ronald Araújo the best central defender in the world? His level and his rivals to the 'title'". FCBN. 25 February 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
35. Fleming, Rob (13 April 2023). "Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr hails Barcelona's Ronald Araujo as best defender ever faced". PlanetSportcom. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
36. "Ronald Araujo: Barcelona's Uruguayan Colossus in Defense - Breaking The Lines". 22 May 2022. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
37. Clark, Gill (15 October 2024). "Luis Enrique's brutal verdict of Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo revealed". Barca Blaugranes. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
38. "Ronald Araujo: La Liga Player Watch". Coaches' Voice. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
39. "Ronald Araujo: God's soldier who runs 35 km/h". MARCA. 21 December 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
40. Ronald Araújo at Soccerway
41. "Ronald Araújo: Internationals". WorldFootball.net. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
42. "Argentina vs. Uruguay 0–2: Summary". Soccerway. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
43. "FC Barcelona, Liga champions 2022/23!". FC Barcelona. 14 May 2023.
44. Lowe, Sid (17 April 2021). "Messi stars as Barcelona thrash Athletic Bilbao to lift Copa del Rey". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
45. Baynes, Ciaran (15 January 2023). "Real Madrid 1–3 Barcelona: Gavi stars as Barca dominate to win Spanish Super Cup". Euro Sport. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
46. "Chile 1 – 0 Uruguay" (in Spanish). 5 June 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
47. "Uruguay beats Canada on penalties to finish CONMEBOL Copa América™ in 3rd Place". 14 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
48. "LaLiga Santader Team of the Season". EA. 19 May 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
49. "Los Premios 'Team Of The Season' de LALIGA y EA SPORTS desvelan los 15 mejores jugadores de la temporada" (in Spanish). LaLiga. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
50. "IFFHS MEN'S CONMEBOL TEAM 2023". 14 January 2024.

External links

• Profile at the FC Barcelona website
• Profile at the Uruguayan Football Association website (in Spanish)
• Ronald Araújo – UEFA competition record (archive)