Despite defeating Ghana 2-0 in their final group match on Friday, South Korea’s 2-1 victory over Portugal means that Uruguay have been eliminated from the World Cup.
Talented players such as Real Madrid‘s Federico Valverde, Atletico Madrid‘s Jose Maria Gimenez and Darwin Nunez of Liverpool will now return to their clubs ahead of the domestic football seasons resuming.
Among those returning home is Barcelona‘s Ronald Araujo, who failed to play a single minute of his country’s World Cup campaign.
The inclusion of Araujo in Uruguay’s 26-man squad was a controversial topic. The 23-year-old has been unavailable for club and country since sustaining a thigh injury in a friendly against Iran in September.
Uruguay had hoped that his injury would subside by the time the team reached the knockout stages, while Barcelona accused the Uruguayan Federation of forcing Araujo to return prematurely, as per Sport, which could have led to an extended period on the sidelines for the defender.
However, Uruguay’s exit on Friday has put an end to the matter. Araujo will return to Barcelona without having set foot on the pitch while in Qatar.
