In a goalless draw (0-0) at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Ronald Araujo was back to his best as he played the entire match for the Uruguay national team against Chile. The game held no stakes for “La Celeste,” as they have already secured their spot for the 2026 World Cup. Nevertheless, it was a match that highlighted Araujo’s solid performance.
Araujo missed the first game of this international break against Peru, where Uruguay triumphed 3-0, due to an accumulation of yellow cards. This time, however, he shone brightly, providing much-needed stability to his national side.
Under Marcelo Bielsa’s guidance, Araujo regained confidence in his ball-handling skills, as noted by Uruguayan media, such as the newspaper ‘Ovación’. Their match report detailed that Araujo served as “Uruguay’s primary option for ball distribution. He was very secure in aerial duels and passing. He was unable to maintain this after halftime as the team was overwhelmed and couldn’t advance. His performance was flawless and composed.”
This match was beneficial for Araujo to regain confidence after being benched in the last game for Barça against Rayo Vallecano. In his performance against Levante at the Ciutat de València, both he and Cubarsí were benched at Vallecas. Eric Garcia and Christensen were the chosen center-backs for that match.
Araujo serves as Barça’s second captain and has been acting as the first due to Ter Stegen’s injury. Reclaiming his top form is one of Flick’s goals, and Bielsa has helped him. Araujo was bold against Chile, confidently moving up the field to distribute play among his teammates.
The match had little at stake for Uruguay, but Chile was fighting for a spot in the World Cup, ultimately missing out for the third time in a row. Despite the pressure, Araujo’s performance was noteworthy.
Tough Competition
Araujo will be back with Hansi Flick on Thursday in preparation for Sunday’s game against Valencia. However, securing a starting position might be challenging as Christensen showed excellent form with Denmark, with Pau Cubarsí and Eric Garcia also being viable options.
Cubarsí played only 45 minutes in Spain’s match against Bulgaria in Sofia while Eric Garcia stayed in Barcelona, working as he was not called up by De la Fuente for the Spanish national team.
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