Barça's Saudi Showdown: Will Araújo Travel for the Spanish Super Cup?
4 January 2026
Barça faces a decision ahead of the Spanish Super Cup
According to a Sunday report, Barcelona’s Uruguayan defender Ronald Araújo has been cleared to travel with the Blaugrana squad to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup, but his participation will be decided after the trip.
Upcoming fixtures and travel details
The tournament opens with Barcelona taking on Athletic Bilbao, while Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid play in the following match. Barça’s trip to Saudi Arabia is part of this week’s schedule as the trophy competition unfolds on neutral ground.
Araújo had been out for several weeks due to mental health issues and only resumed training last Monday. He is set to travel with the squad when they depart Spain at 12:30 local time, aiming to join his teammates in Saudi Arabia.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the final decision on his match involvement will come after the squad arrives and undergoes a thorough medical review in the kingdom.
Barça will depart with the goal of defending the Spanish Super Cup title, which they won last season. The team’s medical staff will weigh his physical readiness alongside his mental health to determine his availability for the game.
Gavi is another note of interest, as he remains out with a longer-term absence, with another month before his return to action. The squad’s leadership, including president Joan Laporta, will rely on a combined effort from staff and players as they head to Jeddah.
In parallel, the trip to Saudi Arabia marks a key test for Barça as they balance competition demands with the well-being of players returning from injury or mental-health challenges. Araújo’s presence on the journey signals commitment, even if the final call on his playing time remains unresolved.
As the team charts this path, supporters and analysts alike will watch closely how the defense holds up and whether Araújo steps onto the pitch in the Saudi desert.
Getty Images
And now, the two punchlines you didn’t know you needed: 1) If Araújo travels, the plane might finally learn what “defense” really means—air superiority included. 2) If he plays, Barça’s defense could get so much tougher that even the Saudi wind will need a permit to blow through the lines.
