_(cropped2).jpg) Araujo withBarcelona in 2024 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Julián Vicente Araujo Zúñiga[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (2001-08-13)13 August 2001 (age 24)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Lompoc, California, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[3] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Right-back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Celtic (on loan fromAFC Bournemouth) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Central Coast Condors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Santa Barbara Soccer Club | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Lompoc High School | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Barça Residency Academy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | LA Galaxy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | LA Galaxy II | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2023 | LA Galaxy | 100 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Barcelona | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | →Las Palmas (loan) | 25 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | AFC Bournemouth | 12 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2026– | →Celtic (loan) | 7 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | United States U16 | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | United States U18 | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | United States U19 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | United States U20 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | United States U23 | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | United States | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Mexico | 16 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15 February 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 2 July 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Julián Vicente Araujo Zúñiga (born 13 August 2001) is a professionalfootballer who plays as aright-back forScottish Premiership clubCeltic on loan fromPremier League clubAFC Bournemouth. Born in the United States, he plays for theMexico national team.[4]
Araujo was born in Lompoc, California, and is of Mexican descent. He attendedLompoc High School.[5] After two years at Lompoc High School, he left home and joined Barça Residency Academy in Casa Grande, Arizona in 2017.[6]
In March 2017, Araujo had committed to playingcollege soccer at theUniversity of California, Santa Barbara from 2018 onward.[7]
Araujo made his professional debut in a 2–2 draw withSeattle Sounders 2 on 4 October 2018, coming on as an 88th-minute substitute for Nate Shultz.[8]
On 1 March 2019, LA Galaxy acquired Araujo after trading $50,000 of Targeted Allocation Money toColorado Rapids to gain the first spot in the Waivers Order.[9]
Araujo made 108 total appearances with the Galaxy, scoring once in the regular season and again in the playoffs. He became a regular starter beginning in 2019 and finished 2021 and 2022 as the team's defender of the year.[10]
On 1 February 2023,Barcelona and LA Galaxy agreed on a transfer for Araujo. The paperwork, however, was delivered 18 seconds late,[11] and the deal was left in limbo afterFIFA rejected the transfer but theCourt of Arbitration for Sport overruled.[12] Ultimately, by 17 February Araujo was transferred to Barcelona.[10]
On 1 August 2023, Araujo was loaned toLa Liga sideLas Palmas for the entire2023–24 season.[13][14]
On 31 October, Araujo scored his first goal with the club in a 3–0 away win againstManacor to advance in the second round of theCopa del Rey.[15] On 1 December, he scored his first league goal with the club, scoring the first goal in their 2–0 win overGetafe.[16] On 7 January 2024, during a Copa del Rey match againstTenerife, Araujo picked up a red card for a violent conduct onNacho Martínez after Nacho Martínez had gone down in the penalty area. On 10 January, it was announced that he would serve a four-match suspension.[17] He returned a month later on 10 February, coming on in stoppage-time forMarvin Park in their 2–0 win overValencia.
On 13 August 2024, Araujo joinedPremier League teamAFC Bournemouth on a five-year deal.[18] He made his debut on 17 August in a 1–1 away draw againstNottingham Forest.[19]
On 2 January 2026, Araujo joinedScottish Premiership clubCeltic on loan for the remainder of the 2025–26 season.[20]
Araujo scored his first Celtic goal on 15 February when he netted alast minute winner againstKilmarnock atRugby Park. In the 97th minute, he swept the ball home with his weaker left foot, then celebrated by jumping into the stand with the Celtic fans and linking arms.[21]
Araujo was eligible to play for theUnited States andMexico.[22]
After an injury toAyo Akinola, Araujo was named to the2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup squad to represent theUnited States under-20.[23]
Araujo was called into theUnited States national soccer team byGregg Berhalter for the January 2020 camp, but did not make an official match appearance.[5] He was called up again in December 2020 for a game againstEl Salvador, in which he made his senior level debut.[24] Araujo was named to the final 20-playerUnited States under-23 roster for the2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship in March 2021.[25]
On 18 June 2021, Araujo was named to the preliminary 59-player USMNT roster for the2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup but was left off the final roster on 1 July 2021. Berhalter cited Araujo's dual citizenship and unwillingness to become cap-tied to the USMNT.[26]
On 13 August 2021, sports media in Mexico reported that Araujo himself had filed and submitted theone-time switch to FIFA to joinMexico.[27] As of 4 October 2021 FIFA officially approved Araujo's case.[28][29]
On 27 November 2021, Araujo was included in the Mexico national football team call-up byGerardo Martino for a friendly match againstChile set to take place on 8 December.[30] He was given a starting berth in Mexico's 2–2 draw, playing the full 90 minutes.[31] In making his debut, Araujo became the third player in the history of theMexico–United States rivalry in having represented both national teams alongsideMartín Vásquez andEdgar Castillo.[32]
In the summer of 2023, Araujo was part of Mexico national team that reached 3rd-place finish at the2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals and won the2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He also won the latter tournament in2025.[33]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| LA Galaxy II | 2018 | USL | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| LA Galaxy | 2019 | MLS | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 17 | 1 | — | — | — | 17 | 1 | |||||
| 2021 | 32 | 0 | — | — | — | 32 | 0 | |||||
| 2022 | 33 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 2[d] | 1 | 39 | 1 | |||
| Total | 100 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | 3 | 1 | 108 | 2 | |||
| Barcelona | 2022–23 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Las Palmas (loan) | 2023–24 | La Liga | 25 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 28 | 2 | ||
| Bournemouth | 2024–25 | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |
| 2025–26 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Celtic (loan) | 2025–26 | Scottish Premiership | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | |
| Career total | 146 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 160 | 5 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 2021 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 16 | 0 | |
Barcelona
United States
Mexico
Individual
Mexico squads | |||||||||||||
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