Barcelona star suffers injury scare ahead of 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

The 2026 World Cup is just around the corner, and numerous Barcelona players will be in action for their respective nations – this includes Ronald Araujo, who is expected to be an important player for Uruguay in their bid for an unlikely third world title.

Despite having been a bit-part player at Barcelona for much of the 2025-26 season, Araujo is key for his country, which is why there has been much concerns in the last few days that he could be ruled out for the World Cup. As per MD, the defender suffered a slight injury in his calf, and that prompted him to return to the Catalan club for medical examinations.

The Uruguayan Football Association acknowledged the situation with Araujo during an official statement posted on Sunday. They also confirmed that the issue is not serious, and that he will return to the national team’s training camp in the coming days.

“To help resolve a muscle discomfort, the footballer will receive medical treatment by professionals who have previously treated him. The coaching staff and the health of the AUF agreed with this decision. He will not participate in the group activities on Monday, joining the tasks of the group on Tuesday 9, which will travel at night to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”

Barcelona will hope for positive World Cup for Araujo

Image via David Ramos/Getty Images

The last thing that Barcelona need going into the World Cup is another injury problem. Raphinha has already confirmed that he will not be heading into the tournament at 100%, while Lamine Yamal is still in the process of recovering from the hamstring injury he suffered against Celta Vigo in April.

In Araujo’s case, Barcelona will especially hope that he can play a significant role at the World Cup, as it could see clubs register their interest in his services – at this stage, club officials are open to selling him this summer, especially if he continues to not be counted on by Flick as a regular starter.