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The new decision on Uruguay defender Ronald Araujo has sparked controversy following his injury and his absence from group training ahead of the start of the 2026 World Cup.
Ronald Araujo is undergoing emergency treatment for “muscular discomfort” in Barcelona, Uruguay’s football federation has said, stressing that his participation in the 2026 World Cup is not in jeopardy and that he will be ready for the 2026 World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia.
The 27-year-old defender of “Barcelona” left the camp of “Celeste” on Sunday night, going to Barcelona, where he passed tests with the medical staff who followed him before.
“To treat the muscle discomfort, the player will receive treatment from the specialists who previously managed his condition. The technical staff and the medical staff agreed on this decision. He will not take part in group activities today, Monday, and will join the group training tomorrow, Tuesday, before leaving on World Cup night.”
The plan is simple. return to Montevideo on Monday evening, then travel to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, Uruguay’s home for the tournament, with Marcelo Bielsa’s delegation on Tuesday evening.
The trip caused more controversy than the injury itself. Araujo will walk around 30,000 kilometers in three days, the equivalent of almost a full circle around the Earth, to heal a muscle strain that was described as minor since a back-and-forth crossing of the Atlantic Ocean a week before the first game led the Uruguayan media to question the feasibility of the risk, despite the full confidence of the technical staff.
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Ironically, Araujo did not play a single minute at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, despite being in the 26, due to recurring muscle injuries that kept him out of crucial matches with his country’s national team. The match against Saudi Arabia on June 15 therefore represents his first real World Cup opportunity before facing Cape Verde and Spain.
