Ronald Araujo opens up on depression and month-long football break 2026

Key Points

• Liverpool center-back Ronald Araujo says he suffered a “breaking point” with his depression less than a year ago before his loan move to Liverpool.
• According to The Times’ Paul Joyce, Ronald Araujo explained that he hadn’t been feeling well for a long time and could no longer enjoy playing football.
• The Uruguayan international cited getting sent off against Chelsea in the match played at Stamford Bridge in November 2025 as the immediate reason that prompted him to take a break.
• Following his sending off, Araujo revealed that he received death threats against his family.
• Araujo took almost one month off from Barcelona, where he tried to get professional help and connect with his faith as a Christian.
• Ronald Araujo told The Times that taking that break was “the best decision” he has ever made in his life.
• According to Araujo, players from other leagues have been in touch with him after hearing about his condition.
• Now on loan to Liverpool for one season, Ronald Araujo says he is very happy and enjoying football once again.

Anfield (Liverpool standard) October 24, 2026 – Liverpool defender Ronald Araujo depression remarks have revealed how the Uruguay international reached a “breaking point” that required him to take a month away from football while at Barcelona.

In an interview with Paul Joyce of The Times, Araujo said he had struggled with his mental health for an extended period before deciding to step back from the game. “It was a very difficult time,” he said. “I felt that what I needed to do was take a step back. I hadn’t felt right for a long time, and I wasn’t enjoying the thing I love most, which is football.”

Araujo said he eventually recognised that he needed support from both the people closest to him and mental-health professionals. “I realised I had to put my hand up, ask for help and talk not just to the people closest to me, but to professionals as well,” he told The Times.

The 27-year-old said that hiding his difficulties had made the situation harder. “Sometimes you bottle things up and try to be the strong man, but in life you have to talk about things and open up about what you’re going through,” he said.

Why did Ronald Araujo take a break from football?

Araujo said the decision followed his red card in Barcelona’s Champions League match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 25 November 2025. As reported by The Times and subsequently covered by This Is Anfield, Goal and Yahoo Sport, he described that dismissal as the moment his long-running difficulties became impossible to ignore.

“I made the decision after being sent off at Stamford Bridge because that was the breaking point,” Araujo told Paul Joyce of The Times. “I just couldn’t carry on any longer, but it wasn’t down to any one particular incident.”

He explained that pressures had built up over time, particularly away from football. “A lot of things had been building up, particularly in my personal life, and I didn’t know how to deal with them,” Araujo said.

According to The Athletic, Araujo was shown a second yellow card and then a red card shortly before half-time after a challenge on Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella. The report said Barcelona were 1-0 behind at the time and went on to lose 3-0.

What happened after the Chelsea red card?

Araujo said the aftermath of the Chelsea match included death threats against his family. As reported by Paul Joyce of The Times, he said people who could not reach him directly targeted his wife and threatened his daughters.

In a separate interview with Mundo Deportivo, quoted by ESPN, Araujo said:

“It was not just related to sport, it was also on a family and personal level. I didn’t feel myself and that moment [the red card at Chelsea] served as a click to say: ‘Something is happening, I need to ask for help.’”

ESPN also reported that Araujo had experienced anxiety for 18 months before it developed into depression. In that interview, he said:

“I had not been well for a while. I had anxiety for 18 months and it became depression.”

How long was Ronald Araujo away from Barcelona?

Araujo spent about a month away from Barcelona after asking the club for a mental-health break. This Is Anfield reported that he used the period to connect with his Christian faith and address his depression.

ESPN reported that during the break he travelled to religious sites in Bethlehem and Jerusalem and spent time with his family in Uruguay. The report also said Barcelona granted him leave after the Champions League defeat to Chelsea.

Upon his return, Araujo said the decision to pause had helped him recover. “I learned that taking a pause at the right moment is an act of self-love,” he said in a social-media post quoted by ESPN in January. “Nurturing your mind and heart isn’t a sign of defeat; it’s about having faith that God is at work, even in silence.”

Was Barcelona supportive of Ronald Araujo?

Araujo said Barcelona, his manager and his teammates supported his decision to take time away. As reported by This Is Anfield, he said the club’s support was important during a period in which he was dealing with depression.

In an interview with The Athletic, quoted by Yahoo Sport, Araujo said it had not been easy to tell a club of Barcelona’s stature that he needed to stop and seek help.

“It’s not easy to tell a club like Barça, ‘Look, this is happening to me. I need help. I need to stop and step away,’”

he said.

The Catalan outlet Ara reported in February that Araujo began treatment with external specialists after Barcelona’s then club psychologist, Laia Vinaixa, left to work in Saudi Arabia. The report said he continued working with those specialists.

How has Ronald Araujo described his recovery?

Araujo has repeatedly described the break as transformative. In his latest interview with The Times, he said:

“Taking that break was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

He added: “Today, I feel good, I’m happy and I’m enjoying football again, and that shows on the pitch. Now I can show what I’m really capable of again.”

This Is Anfield reported that Araujo is now enjoying a fresh start on Merseyside after joining Liverpool on loan. The outlet said his honesty had encouraged other footballers to speak about their own mental-health difficulties.

What did Araujo say about other footballers?

Araujo said his decision to speak publicly prompted messages from players in different leagues. As reported by This Is Anfield, he said he had also noticed similar issues among teammates at Liverpool and with the Uruguay national team.

“I had a lot of players from different leagues get in touch with me,” Araujo told Paul Joyce of The Times. “I see it when I speak to teammates, not just at Liverpool but with the national team too.”

He said many players continue to struggle in silence because they fear discussing mental health publicly. “There are a lot of players going through difficult times, but they’re afraid to talk about it publicly,” he said.

“It’s important to open up because that’s when you start to feel better.”

Why does Araujo reject assumptions about footballers?

Araujo challenged the idea that wealth and professional status protect footballers from mental-health problems. As reported by This Is Anfield, he said people sometimes assume that high earners cannot suffer or struggle.

“Sometimes people generalise and assume that because footballers earn a lot of money, we can’t suffer or struggle,” Araujo told The Times. “But we go through the same things as anyone else. There’s more to life than football.”

His comments align with his earlier account to Mundo Deportivo, in which he said he had tried to appear strong because of his background and roots, while privately feeling unwell. ESPN quoted him as saying that he usually kept everything to himself but had learned that professionals could provide tools to manage difficult situations.

Background of the development

Araujo’s mental-health difficulties became public after Barcelona granted him leave in late 2025 following the Champions League defeat to Chelsea. At the time, Barcelona described the departure as being for “personal reasons,” according to Goal.

The Uruguay centre-back later explained that he had been dealing with anxiety for around 18 months and that it had developed into depression. He said the combination of sporting pressure, personal matters and abuse aimed at his family contributed to his decision to seek help.

After returning to action, Araujo featured only minimally for Barcelona during the remainder of the 2025-26 season, according to Yahoo Sport. He subsequently moved to Liverpool on a season-long loan in the summer, with ESPN reporting that Liverpool needed defensive reinforcements.

How could this affect footballers and fans?

For professional footballers, Araujo’s account may reinforce the importance of clubs providing accessible mental-health support and treating requests for leave as medical matters rather than disciplinary or performance issues. His statement that other players contacted him suggests that public disclosure can reduce isolation among athletes facing similar pressures.

For supporters, the case highlights the potential consequences of online abuse directed at players and their families. Araujo’s account, as reported by The Times and The Athletic, links family death threats to the moment he decided he could no longer continue without help.

For Liverpool fans, Araujo’s comments indicate that he views his move to Anfield as a positive reset. His statement that he is happy and enjoying football again may matter both for his on-field form and for how supporters understand the personal circumstances behind a player’s past absence.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, support is available. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted free on 116 123, while in the US the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached by calling or texting 988.