Maximiliano Araújo

Maximiliano Araújo
Personal information
Full name Maximiliano Javier Araújo Vilches[1]
Date of birth (2000-02-15) 15 February 2000
Place of birth Montevideo, Uruguay
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Positions
Team information
Current team
 Sporting CP
Number 20
Youth career
Montevideo Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2019 Montevideo Wanderers 33 (1)
2020–2022 Puebla 83 (8)
2023–2024 Toluca 55 (10)
2024– Sporting CP 59 (9)
International career‡
2018–2019 Uruguay U20 28 (0)
2019 Uruguay U22 4 (0)
2020 Uruguay U23 6 (0)
2023– Uruguay 31 (5)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Uruguay
Copa América
Third place2024 United States
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23 August 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 27 June 2026

Maximiliano "Maxi" Javier Araújo Vilches (born 15 February 2000) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a left-back or left wing-back for Primeira Liga club Sporting CP and the Uruguay national team.[4][5]

Club career

Araújo is a youth academy graduate of Montevideo Wanderers. He made his professional debut for the club on 11 March 2018 in a 2–1 league win against Montevideo City Torque.[6]

At the end of December 2019 it was confirmed, Araújo had signed a deal until the end of 2023 with Liga MX club Puebla.[7]

On 27 August 2024, Araújo joined Primeira Liga club Sporting CP on a five-year contract.[8] On 5 November 2024, Araújo scored his debut goal in the UEFA Champions League against Manchester City in a 4–1 victory.[9] On 4 August 2026, he extended his contract until 2030.[10]

International career

As a youth international, Araújo has represented Uruguay at the 2019 South American U-20 Championship, 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2019 Pan American Games and the 2020 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament.[11]

On 21 October 2022, Araújo was named in Uruguay's 55-man preliminary squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.[12] However, he was not included in the final squad, which was announced three weeks later.[13] In June 2023, he received his first call-up to the senior team for friendly matches against Nicaragua and Cuba.[14] He made his debut on 14 June in a 4–1 win against Nicaragua.[15]

On 31 May 2026, Araújo was named in Uruguay's 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[16] On 15 June, in Uruguay's opener against Saudi Arabia, Araújo scored his first World Cup goal with equalizer to ensure a 1–1 draw.[17] In Uruguay's second group-stage match against Cape Verde, he registered a goal and an assist, becoming the first Uruguayan player to achieve this feat at a World Cup since Juan Mujica in 1970.[18]

Personal life

He is the elder brother of fellow professional footballer César Araújo.[19] In June 2026, unverified claims circulated on social media, primarily in India, alleging that Araújo had family origins in Portuguese Goa and that his grandfather had emigrated to Uruguay. However, these claims were not supported by reliable sources and were publicly denied by people close to him.[20]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 24 May 2026[21]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Montevideo Wanderers 2018 Uruguayan Primera División 14000—00—140
2019 Uruguayan Primera División 19100—00—191
Total 33100—00—331
Puebla 2019–20 Liga MX 1000———10
2020–21 Liga MX 252————252
2021–22 Liga MX 384————384
2022–23 Liga MX 192————192
Total 83800———838
Toluca 2022–23 Liga MX 196————196
2023–24 Liga MX 343——2[c]04[d]0403
2024–25 Liga MX 21———3[d]152
Total 5510——20716411
Sporting CP 2024–25 Primeira Liga 283503010[e]1—464
2025–26 Primeira Liga 295505011[e]21[f]0477
Total 57810040213109311
Career total 22827100802338027330
  1. ↑ Includes Taça de Portugal
  2. ↑ Includes Taça da Liga
  3. ↑ Appearances in CONCACAF Champions Cup
  4. 1 2 Appearances in Leagues Cup
  5. 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  6. ↑ Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira

International

As of match played 26 June 2026[4]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Uruguay 202371
2024132
202560
202652
Total315
Scores and results list Uruguay's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Araújo goal.
List of international goals scored by Maximiliano Araújo
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
120 June 2023Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay2 Cuba2–02–0Friendly
223 June 2024Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States9 Panama1–03–12024 Copa América
327 June 2024MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States10 Bolivia3–05–02024 Copa América
415 June 2026Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States29 Saudi Arabia1–11–12026 FIFA World Cup
521 June 2026Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States30 Cape Verde1–12–22026 FIFA World Cup

Honours

Sporting CP

Uruguay

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Poland 2019: List of Players: Uruguay" (PDF). FIFA. 13 June 2019. p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 February 2020.
  2. ↑ "Maximiliano Araújo". Sporting CP. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
  3. ↑ Maximiliano Araújo at WorldFootball.net
  4. 1 2 Maximiliano Araújo at Soccerway
  5. ↑ "6 - Maximiliano Araújo". Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  6. ↑ "Debutante de la 6a fecha". 16 March 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  7. ↑ El uruguayo Maximiliano Araujo reforzará la defensa de Puebla, mediotiempo.com, 27 December 2019
  8. ↑ "Maxi Araújo, nuevo jugador del Sporting de Lisboa" (in Spanish). 27 August 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  9. ↑ UEFA.com. "Sporting CP vs Man City: UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League phase". UEFA. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  10. ↑ "Maxi Araújo Extends Sporting Deal Until 2030". beIN SPORTS. 4 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "6 - Maximiliano Araújo". 16 January 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  12. ↑ "Selección: Diego Alonso entregó la lista de 55 reservados para el Mundial de Catar" (in Spanish). 21 October 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
  13. ↑ "Se confirmó la lista de convocados para la Copa Mundial de Catar 2022". 10 November 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Siguen sumándose futbolistas convocados a los entrenamientos". 5 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  15. ↑ "Selección: Bielsa eligió a Matías Viña como capitán en un equipo con muchos debutantes". 14 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  16. ↑ "Mundial 2026: Uruguay dio a conocer la lista de 26 convocados por Marcelo Bielsa" (in Spanish). 31 May 2026. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
  17. ↑ AP (15 June 2026). "Uruguay's Maxi Araujo scores equaliser in 1-1 World Cup draw with Saudi Arabia". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  18. ↑ "FIFA World Cup 2026 stats: Yamal youngest since Pele, Egypt's long-awaited first, Cape Verde's first goals". ESPN. 21 June 2026.
  19. ↑ "Maxi Araújo, y el sueño de compartir con su hermano César en la Celeste" (in Spanish). 5 March 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  20. ↑ "La insólita noticia "fake" que dieron varios medios de India sobre Maximiliano Araújo y que desde su entorno desmintieron rotundamente" [The unusual and unverified report published by several Indian media outlets regarding Maximiliano Araújo, which was categorically denied by his close circle.]. El Observador (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  21. ↑ Maximiliano Araújo at Soccerway
  22. ↑ "Sporting beat Vitoria to clinch Portuguese title". Reuters. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  23. ↑ "Sporting CP Wins 2025 Taça de Portugal After Extra-Time Thriller vs Benfica". beIN Sports. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  24. ↑ "Uruguay beats Canada on penalties to finish CONMEBOL Copa América™ in 3rd Place". 14 July 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  25. ↑ "Maxi Araújo in the Liga Portugal Betclic Team of the Season". Liga Portugal. 21 May 2026. Retrieved 21 May 2026.
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