Barcelona plan goes up in smoke as player exits 2026 World Cup early | OneFootball

The first Barcelona player to exit the ongoing 2026 World Cup in the United, Mexico and Canada has now been confirmed, with Ronald Araujo’s Uruguay having been dumped out of the tournament following a 1-0 defeat to Spain – a match in which club teammates Pau Cubarsi and Pedri were fortunate to escape injuries.

Araujo would have hoped for a positive World Cup at the end of a difficult 2025-26 season. He took time away from football between November and January by way of a mental health break, and when he returned, he struggled to establish himself as a starter at Barcelona – especially in his preferred centre-back position, as he was regularly shifted out to right-back.

As such, Araujo would have been disappointed that Uruguay were knocked out, especially as he did not play a single minute of their three group stage matches due to an injury. Barcelona were also sad about this, with Sport that their plan had been for him to showcase himself as a top defender again in North America.

Barcelona not thinking about selling Araujo – yet

Barcelona wanted Araujo to showcase his skills at the World Cup – not as a way to attract transfer interest from other clubs, but rather to show everyone that he can still compete at the highest level. The Catalan club are not currently thinking about selling their captain as they plan to honour his wish to remain at the Spotify Camp Nou, although this stance could change if he continues to play a bit-part role in Hansi Flick’s squad going forward.

It will certainly be interesting to see how Araujo’s situation at Barcelona develops over the next 12 months. At his best, he can absolutely be a starter for Flick, although it remains to be seen whether he gets that chance during the 2026-27 season.