We are less than four months away from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will see Mexico kick off the tournament at the Estadio Azteca with a match-up against South Africa, followed by a meeting with South Korea and a fixture against either Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia, or the Republic of Ireland. Javier Aguirre will be putting his players through the wringer in Mexico’s upcoming friendlies against Iceland, Portugal, Belgium, Ghana, Australia, and Serbia as he looks to determine his strongest eleven,
and one of the biggest incognitos is on the right side of defense.
When Mexico commenced their 2025 Gold Cup campaign, they did so with Jorge Sánchez on the right side of defense against the Dominican Republic. Israel Reyes was given the start in their next match vs. Suriname, and while Sánchez returned against Costa Rica, he was dropped in their next two matches as Julián Araujo occupied the starting spot against Saudi Arabia and Honduras. But when it came time for the final, it was Sánchez who got the start and spurred El Tri to a 2-1 win in Las Vegas against tournament hosts United States. Sánchez started the next friendly vs. Japan before making way for the youngster Rodrigo Huescas against South Korea, before starting in their 4-0 defeat against Colombia. Following their beatdown against the Cafeteros, Aguirre would give Reyes the start against Ecuador, Uruguay and Paraguay, before experimenting with Richard Ledezma against Panama, and then starting Sánchez against Bolivia. But whilst Araujo hasn’t played for Mexico since July 2, there’s reason to believe that he could be their starting right back going into the World Cup.
Born on August 13, 2001, Julián Vicente Araujo Zúñiga was raised by Mexican parents in Lompoc, California before heading to Arizona to take part in the Barça Residency Academy. Whilst he had originally committed to playing college soccer at the University of California, Santa Barbara from 2018 onward, he pulled a U-Turn and signed with Los Angeles Galaxy, where he established himself as a vital cog in defense and scored 2 goals and 14 assists in 109 appearances. After back-to-back All-Star finishes, Araujo departed the Golden State and made the move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs: FC Barcelona. However, he never managed to make an appearance for the Blaugranas; instead, he was loaned out to fellow La Liga side Las Palmas for the entire 2023–24 season, where he scored 2 goals in 28 appearances, before being sold to Premier League outfit Bournemouth on a five-year deal.
Whilst Araujo was immediately thrust into Andoni Iraola’s side, playing in their first five matches (starting three), he would suffer a hamstring injury in November 2024 and manage just 13 appearances (501 minutes) across the campaign. And after riding the bench for the first few matches of the 2025/26 season, Araujo was given the start on August 26, 2025, in an EFL Cup match vs. Brentford. It proved to be his first and only Bournemouth appearance of the season, with Araujo getting booked in the 70th minute for an argument before being sent off for a studs-up challenge en route to a 2-0 defeat.
Sometimes, you’ve got to go two steps backwards in order to go three steps backwards, and that’s proven to be the case with Araujo. With playing time hard to come by at Dean Court, Araujo was loaned out to Scottish Premiership club Celtic on January 2 for the remainder of the 2025–26 season. He was immediately thrown into the deep end, coming on for the final half-hour as Celtic suffered a 3-1 Old Firm defeat against eternal rivals Rangers, before getting the start at right back in a 4-0 win against Dundee United. Since then, he’s started in each of Celtic’s last eight matches (only to drop out in the return leg vs. Stuttgart), offering plenty of energy and dynamism down the right flank and giving Martin O’Neill an extra source of creativity from defense.
All things considered, Celtic fans haven’t had a great deal to celebrate this season, having lost 3-1 to St. Mirren in the Scottish League Cup Final in December and losing to Stuttgart in the UEFA Europa League knockout playoffs. What’s more, they are on track to miss out on their fifth consecutive league title: after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Hibernian at the weekend, Celtic currently sit third in the table, two points behind Rangers and six behind Hearts (with a game in hand on both). However, one of their happiest moments of the campaign came on February 15, when, with merely 30 seconds remaining on the clock, he inched his way towards the box. Approaching a cross that took a deflection off a defender, Araujo measured his run to perfection and greeted the ball with poise and perfection, opening his body up and slamming home into the top-right corner with his weaker right foot.
Just like that, Araujo had snatched the three points for Celtic, fending off a noble fight from Kilmarnock and giving Celtic a moment of mirth to savor. Araujo then proceeded to jump into the stands and link arms with Celtic supporters, who roared in delirium. It was the celebration of a man who, having struggled to establish himself at Barcelona and Bournemouth, might very well have found a new, albeit temporary home at Celtic. A place for him to spread wings and take flight. A place for him to restore his confidence and composure and become the best version of himself that he possibly can be.
Having played for the US Men’s National Team from the U-16 level all the way to the senior level, Araujo looked set to establish himself as a key figure for the Stars and Stripes, only to file a one-time switch and change loyalties to Mexico in 2021. Since then, he’s become the third player in the history of the Mexico–United States rivalry to have both national teams alongside Martín Vásquez and Edgar Castillo, he’s registered 16 caps in total, and he’s also won the 2023 and 2025 Gold Cup. But he hasn’t yet managed to lock down a starting spot in defense due in large part to his lack of stability at the club level. Nevertheless, with a run of regular minutes under his belt, that may very well change, especially with Sánchez playing in just two of five matches since leaving Cruz Azul for Greek outfit PAOK in the winter transfer window.
For now, Araujo will be looking to help Celtic end their run of two straight defeats and navigate a difficult schedule that will see them travel to Rangers and Aberdeen, before heading to Rangers for a do-or-die Scottish Cup quarterfinal. However, he’s well aware that, if he can continue building on his positive form in Glasgow, then he may very well end up establishing a starting spot on the right side of Mexico’s defense in the upcoming World Cup.
