Ronald Araújo Injury: Why Is He Not Playing for Uruguay vs Cabo Verde?

Uruguay is coming off a frustrating 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia in their first Group H fixture at the 2026 World Cup and needs to find a win when they take on Cabo Verde.

Their opponents produced one of the best performances ever by a smaller nation against a former world champion, holding Spain to a 0-0 draw.

Head coach Marcelo Bielsa will be well aware of the fight Cape Verde can put up and will expect nothing less than 100 percent from his players.

Bielsa is also dealing with an injury to one of his main center-backs in Ronald Araújo, as the Barcelona player did not feature against Saudi Arabia.

Why Is Ronald Araújo Not Playing Against Cabo Verde?

Araújo is not playing against Cabo Verde as the defender is still recovering from a calf muscle tear he suffered during practice.

After sitting out the tournament opener the Uruguayan coaching staff is taking a careful approach to his recovery. Araújo even briefly traveled back to Spain for regenerative treatment and individual training to ensure he is fully fit to play.

The defender initially arrived with a minor injury that worsened over time, eventually forcing him to return to Barcelona for treatment, with reports also suggesting that Barcelona were unhappy with how Uruguay handled the situation.

The situation had also prompted a remark from Araujo's brother who reportedly blamed Biesla for making the situation worse.

Uruguay are set to face Spain on June 26 in their final Group H fixture, though Ronald Araújo's availability for the match remains uncertain.

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This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 5:53 PM.