_(cropped).jpg) Luiz Araújo withLille in 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Luiz de Araújo Guimarães Neto | ||
| Date of birth | (1996-06-02)2 June 1996 (age 29) | ||
| Place of birth | Taquaritinga, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Flamengo | ||
| Number | 7 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2012–2013 | Mirassol | ||
| 2013–2016 | São Paulo | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013 | Mirassol | 0 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | São Paulo | 41 | (7) |
| 2016 | →Novorizontino (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2017–2021 | Lille | 108 | (14) |
| 2021–2023 | Atlanta United | 59 | (11) |
| 2023– | Flamengo | 78 | (13) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2012 | Brazil U17 | 0 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 10:55, 6 March 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 14 October 2013 (UTC) | |||
Luiz de Araújo Guimarães Neto (born 2 June 1996), known asLuiz Araújo (Brazilian Portuguese:[luˈizɐɾɐˈuʒu]), is a Brazilian professionalfootballer who plays as awinger forCampeonato Brasileiro Série A clubFlamengo.
Born inTaquaritinga,São Paulo, Araújo began his career withMirassol as a youth, before being promoted to the first team in January 2013.[2] Before he could make his debut for Mirassol, Araújo joinedSão Paulo, returning to youth football.[3]
On 26 February 2016, after finishing as the top scorer in theU-20 Copa Libertadores, Araújo was loaned toNovorizontino until the end of theCampeonato Paulista in April.[4] He made his professional debut for the club on 19 March, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 1–1 home draw againstXV de Piracicaba.[5]
Following theCampeonato Paulista season, Araújo returned toSão Paulo and immediately joined the first team. He made his senior andSérie A debut for the club on 5 June 2016 againstCruzeiro, replacingYtalo in a 1–0 victory.[6] He then made his debut in theCopa Libertadores on 13 July 2016 againstAtlético Nacional in the second leg of thesemifinals, coming on as a substitute in the 2–1 defeat.[7] On 5 November, Araújo scored his first professional goal, a late second half stoppage time strike to help São Paulo win 4–0 overCorinthians.[8]
Araújo finished his debut season with São Paulo on 11 December againstSanta Cruz, scoring the fifth goal in a 5–0 home victory.[9]
On 15 February 2017, Araújo scored his first two goals of the season, earning a brace in a 3–1 away victory againstSantos in theCampeonato Paulista.[10] He played his final match for São Paulo on 4 June 2017, a 1–0 defeat againstPonte Preta.[11][12]
On 14 June 2017, Araújo signed for FrenchLigue 1 clubLille, for a reported €10.5 million.[13] He made his debut for the club in their opening match on 6 August againstNantes, starting forMarcelo Bielsa's side in a 3–0 victory.[14] Araújo then scored his first goal for Lille on 14 October in a 2–2 home draw againstTroyes. His goal was a 12th-minute equalizer.[15] Araújo completed his first season at Lille with 6 goals in 36 matches as the club barely managed to survive relegation from the first division.[16]
During the2018–19 season, Araújo dropped to just six starts in the league but played in 27 matches overall in Ligue 1, contributing three goals, as Lille finished 2nd behindParis Saint-Germain.[17]
The next season,2019–20, Araújo continued as a regular substitute for Lille but played more matches overall. He scored his first goal of the campaign on 13 September 2019 againstAngers in a 2–1 home victory.[18] Araújo then made his European debut for Lille in theUEFA Champions League on 17 September againstAjax. He came on as a 63rd-minute substitute in the 3–0 defeat.[19] Araújo would go on to play in all six matches, earning three starts, for Lille as they were knocked out after thegroup stage, finishing last.[20]
Following the 2019–20 season, which was cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Araújo began the2020–21 season as an 83rd-minute substitute againstRennais in a 1–1 draw.[21] He then scored two goals in two matches on 13 September and 20 September againstMetz andMarseille. His goal against Metz was the only goal in the 1–0 victory and the opening goal in the 1–1 draw against Marseille.[22][23] Araújo made his debut for Lille in their opening match of theUEFA Europa League group stage on 22 October 2020 in a 4–1 away victory againstSparta Prague.[24] Lille would go on to finish 2nd in their group and qualify for the knock-outs. On 3 December, he suffered an injury during the club's home match against Sparta Prague, leaving Araújo out until 2021.[25]
Araújo returned to the pitch for Lille on 17 January 2021 againstReims.[26] On 16 April, Araújo scored the equalizer for Lille in a 1–1 draw againstMontpellier.[27] The draw helped keep Lille six points ahead ofParis Saint-Germain for the league title.[27] The title was soon secured during the final match on 23 May againstAngers, with Lille winning by just a point over Paris Saint-Germain.[28] Araújo came on as an 82nd-minute substitute during the 2–1 away victory.[29]
On 1 August 2021, Araújo played his final match for Lille, in theTrophée des Champions against Paris Saint-Germain. He started and played 85 minutes as Lille secured a 1–0 victory atBloomfield Stadium inTel Aviv.[30]
On 6 August 2021, Araújo signed withMajor League Soccer sideAtlanta United as adesignated player.[31] He made his debut for the club on 18 August againstToronto FC, playing 67 minutes in a 1–0 victory atMercedes-Benz Stadium.[32]
Araújo scored his first goal for the club on 15 September, converting after getting the ball 50 yards from goal, spinning past his defender, running and curling his shot into the left corner in the 5th minute, as Atlanta United won 4–0 at home.[33]
On 18 May 2023, it was announced that Araújo would join Brazilian sideFlamengo on a permanent deal at the end of June, the Brazilian club agreed to pay a€9m transfer fee.[34]
On 3 September 2012, aged 16 and having never earned anycap for thefull side, Luiz Araújo was selected byBrazil U17 for the2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup by managerAlexandre Gallo, as one of the three overage players. On 6 July 2013, however, he left the squad due to an elbow injury and was replaced byGabigol.
Luiz Araújo was known for his ability to score free kick goals, also working closely with São Paulo employees to study his adversaries. In March 2015, coachDorival Júnior said he would be the perfect choice to lecture younger players in the position who made the national team.
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | State League | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Mirassol | 2013 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| São Paulo | 2016 | Série A | 22 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 0 | — | 25 | 2 | ||
| 2017 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 15 | 3 | 1[b] | 0 | — | 24 | 7 | |||
| Total | 26 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 49 | 9 | |||
| Novorizontino (loan) | 2016 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| Lille | 2017–18 | Ligue 1 | 34 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 36 | 6 | |||
| 2018–19 | 25 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 29 | 4 | |||||
| 2019–20 | 21 | 2 | 6 | 2 | — | 6[c] | 0 | — | 33 | 4 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 28 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | 6[d] | 0 | — | 37 | 4 | ||||
| 2021–22 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 108 | 14 | 15 | 4 | — | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 136 | 18 | |||
| Atlanta United | 2021 | MLS | 16 | 4 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | 16 | 4 | |||
| 2022 | 28 | 4 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 30 | 6 | |||||
| 2023 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 17 | 3 | |||||
| Total | 60 | 11 | 3 | 2 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 63 | 13 | |||
| Flamengo | 2023 | Série A | 20 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 26 | 3 | ||
| 2024 | 20 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 1 | — | 45 | 6 | |||
| Total | 40 | 6 | 9 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 9 | ||
| Career total | 235 | 35 | 33 | 9 | 33 | 4 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 325 | 49 | ||
Lille
Flamengo
Media related toLuiz Araújo at Wikimedia Commons