Ronald Araujo Marks Century: 100 Liga Appearances for Barcelona

FC Barcelona’s Uruguayan center-back, Ronald Araujo, achieved a significant milestone on Saturday as he played his 100th La Liga match donning the Blaugrana jersey. The 24-year-old, who also serves as the team’s third captain, has been a consistent starter since October 2020 and showcased his prowess against Celta Vigo in the 25th matchday, contributing to the team’s victory.

Araujo’s debut with Barcelona dates back to October 6, 2019, at the Camp Nou against Sevilla (4-0), where he entered the pitch in the 72nd minute. Despite the red card received in the 87th minute, marking an unfortunate start, Araujo has become an integral part of the squad.

His 100 Liga appearances are distributed across five seasons: 6 in 2019-20 (235 minutes), 24 in 2020-21 (1,506 minutes), 30 in 2021-22 (2,269 minutes), 22 in 2022-23 (1,804 minutes), and 18 in the current season (1,425 minutes). Throughout this journey, Araujo scored 7 goals, with 4 coming in the 2021-22 season, and provided 3 assists.

In disciplinary terms, he received 19 yellow cards and 2 red cards, the latter occurring in his debut against Sevilla and another in the Barça-Valencia match on March 5, 2023.

Araujo’s noteworthy achievements include an undefeated streak in his first 22 Liga matches, with 19 victories and 3 draws. He also secured 10 consecutive wins between August 21, 2022, and February 12, 2023. His overall record stands at 70 victories, 19 draws, and 11 defeats in the 100 Liga appearances. His trophy cabinet includes a Copa del Rey (2020-21) and a La Liga and Supercopa de España (2022-23).

Under different managers, Araujo has played a Liga match with Ernesto Valverde, 5 under Quique Setién, 31 under Ronald Koeman, 1 under Sergi Barjuan, and 62 under Xavi Hernández. His versatility has seen him operate as a central defender on both sides and as a right-back.

Currently valued at 70 million euros according to ‘Transfermarkt,’ Araujo signed a contract extension in April 2022, binding him to Barcelona until June 2026, with a release clause of 1 billion euros. Acquired in August 2018 from Boston River for an initial fee of 1.7 million euros, Araujo has proven to be a valuable asset, donning the number 4 jersey since October 2020.