Ronald Araújo, defender for FC Barcelona and the Uruguay national team, suffered a calf tear during a training session with the national squad. The injury occurred ahead of Uruguay’s group stage match against Saudi Arabia at the 2026 World Cup.
Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa confirmed that Araújo’s injury happened during training, after which the player urgently returned to Spain for treatment. Bielsa stated, "If a player tears a muscle during training, something went wrong. We feel responsible for Araújo’s injury but could not act differently than we did."
Bielsa also emphasized that all decisions related to Araújo’s care were made collectively with a trusted group of medical staff and the player himself. No specific details about the recovery timeline or prognosis have been disclosed.
Araújo’s absence affects both the Uruguay national team’s roster for the World Cup matches and Barcelona’s planning, given his key role and age. Official updates on his return to training or matches have not yet been issued.
