Barcelona Defender, Araujo, Faces FIFA Ban

Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo could face a ban from FIFA for his involvement in the fight between Uruguay players and Colombia fans.

Chaos ensued after the final whistle blew in the second semi-final of Copa America 2024 as Uruguayan players were seen jumping into the stands to confront Colombia supporters. Liverpool star Darwin Nunez was seen to be at the centre of the incident while Barcelona’s Araujo was also among the players who were involved in the ugly scenes

As a result, the Catalan giants fear that the central defender could be handed a ban by FIFA, according to Diario AS. The report further adds that Araujo is set to return to Barcelona to undergo medical tests on a hamstring injury that he suffered while on international duty. While fresh medical tests will reveal the scale of the player’s injury, early reports suggested that he could miss the opening few matchdays of the 2024-25 season.

At the moment, CONMEBOL are investigating the incident and if FIFA does not intervene, the 25-year-old’s suspension is likely to be limited to international matches and his club games will not be affected.

The former La Liga champions have begun pre-season under Hansi Flick and are scheduled to travel to the US later this month for friendly matches against Real Madrid, AC Milan and Manchester City.