Arsenal star and controversial Sporting man make UEFA Team of the Week | OneFootball

Maxi Araujo made history of sorts against Arsenal, racking up a record foul count without a booking before being named in UEFA’s best XI.

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

Sporting CP defender Maxi Araujo has been named in UEFA’s Champions League Team of the Week after setting an extraordinary record against Arsenal, becoming the first defender this decade to commit seven or more fouls in a match without being booked.

According to WhoScored, it was also the highest foul count by any player in a match in this season’s competition.

Sofascore add that no defender had managed seven or more fouls without a yellow in the Champions League for nine seasons, making Araujo the first to do it in the 2020s.

That, apparently, was enough to earn him a place in UEFA’s best XI of the week.

UEFA Team of the Week

Araujo was certainly involved.

He contested 22 duels, more than any other player on the pitch, and much of Sporting’s approach down that side relied on his willingness to turn the game into a scrap.

UEFA’s explanation for his inclusion focused on the volume of his defensive work, stating: “On a busy evening down the Sporting CP left, he made more tackles (nine) than any other player in this week’s matches – and won the majority of them as well as making seven recoveries.”

Even so, the selection feels generous at best. For all the tackles and activity, Araujo still lost more than half of his duels and finished the night with the game’s highest foul count, without the booking that performance plainly deserved.

Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images

His brief was obvious enough, to disrupt Noni Madueke and Max Dowman as often as possible, but neither Arsenal winger was overwhelmed by it. Both won more than half of their own duels across the evening.

Araujo already has 12 yellow cards and a red in the 2025/26 season, and has served suspensions in the Champions League, the league and the Portuguese cup.

In other words, this was not some one-off show of over-exuberance, but a performance entirely in keeping with the rest of his season.

There was at least one far less contentious inclusion in the same side.

Kai Havertz was also named after coming off the bench to score the 91st-minute winner, his third goal in four appearances in this season’s competition.

Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images

UEFA’s verdict on that one was rather easier to follow: “Came off the bench to make the difference for the Gunners, scoring their 91st-minute winner at Sporting CP – his third goal in four appearances in this season’s competition.”

So, while UEFA chose to reward Araujo’s tackle count, the more memorable number for Arsenal supporters was the one attached to his fouls.

Seven of them, no booking, and now a place in the Team of the Week to go with it.