Problems before the World Cup. Barcelona star forced to leave national team and return to club due to injury
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
Barcelona defender and Uruguay national team standout Ronald Araújo has given his national team’s coaching staff a real scare just ahead of the World Cup kickoff in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.
Details: According to Diario SPORT, sudden muscle discomfort forced the player to temporarily leave Uruguay’s training camp for a lightning-fast trip to Spain. Araújo headed back to Barcelona for an immediate check-up and treatment from the club’s medical staff, who are already familiar with his physical condition and know exactly how to handle his needs.
Despite the urgent nature of the trip, Uruguay fans shouldn’t panic just yet—reports suggest there’s no risk to the defender’s World Cup participation. The Uruguayan Football Association has officially confirmed that the trip was fully coordinated, and Araújo will only miss the team’s general activities on Monday.
On Tuesday, the star center-back will return to Montevideo to rejoin Marcelo Bielsa’s squad, after which the team will board an evening flight to Mexico, where their training camp will be based.
It’s worth noting that the Barcelona defender has made 27 appearances for Uruguay, scoring once.
Reminder: Uruguay midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta suffered an injury and will miss the 2026 World Cup.
