Orlando City signed Uruguayan midfielder Cesar Araújo on Jan. 7, 2022, from Montevideo Wanderers, making him the club’s first-ever MLS U22 Initiative signing. Araujo inked a three-year contract through 2024 with an additional club option year in 2025. The midfielder moved out of a U22 Initiative slot and into a standard contract in 2024, and as Araújo had hit his performance incentives his club option was triggered for 2025.

Let’s take a look back at the midfielder’s fourth season with the Lions.

Statistical Breakdown

The Uruguayan was one of Orlando City’s stalwarts in 2024, but injuries held him back from playing a similar amount of minutes in 2025. When he was available he was a first-choice defensive midfielder, but unfortunately for the Lions, he missed more than one-third of the MLS regular season.

In MLS regular-season play, Araújo appeared in 22 of Orlando’s 34 matches, starting 20 and playing a total of 1,801 minutes. He scored two goals and added three assists — increases over 2024, when he had one in each category, and new career highs as a Lion. He attempted 19 shots and put a career-high seven on target. Araújo completed a team-high (among players who played significant minutes) 92% of his passes with 19 key passes. On the defensive side, he compiled 38 tackles, nine interceptions, 21 clearances, and six blocks. He committed 31 fouls and suffered a team-high 58, and his 2.9 fouls suffered per 90 minutes ranked him tied for fifth in all of MLS among players who played at least 1,000 minutes. He received six yellow cards and one red card — a straight red card he received against Atlanta.

Araújo started the Eastern Conference wild card game alongside Eduard Atuesta in the center of the midfield but only played 75 minutes before coming off for Colin Guske with the team trailing 3-0. He did not take any shots, but matched his regular-season average by completing 92% of his passes, with no key passes. He added one tackle and one clearance on defense and both committed and suffered two fouls. He was not booked.

The Montevideo, Uruguay native started both games during the U.S. Open Cup, playing a total of 123 minutes. He did not take any shots or record any goal contributions, but he completed 87% of his passes with one key pass. Defensively, he made six tackles but did not have any other contribution. He committed one foul, drew three on the opposition, and was not booked in the competition.

Araújo played nearly every possible minute during Leagues Cup play, starting all six games and only sitting out one minute out of the 540 total available minutes. He did not score a goal but assisted on one, and he put his one shot during regulation play on target, though he did not convert his penalty kick attempt in the game against Pumas that went to a penalty shootout. He slightly bested his performance in the U.S. Open Cup by completing 89% of his passes, with six of them being key passes, and on defense he was all over the field, contributing eight tackles, six interceptions, three clearances, and three blocks. He committed three fouls but suffered a team-leading 13, earning one yellow card.

Best Game

There were several candidates for Araújo’s best game, including the 4-1 demolition of Miami in August and the 4-2 victory over St. Louis in June, but I believe he had his best performance of the season early in the year, during Orlando City’s first win of the season over Toronto. The Uruguayan had a goal and an assist, scoring a stunning free kick to open the scoring and then assisting Martín Ojeda with a beautiful through ball for the third goal for the Lions.

Araújo also led the team with 53 completed passes, while tallying one interception and five loose ball recoveries on defense, wrapping up what was an excellent all-around game (he was also fouled twice, because he is seemingly always fouled at least twice) for the midfielder, and a game for which he was awarded our Man of the Match in our player grades.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land awarded Araújo a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10 for the 2025 season, which is a slight decrease from the 7 out of 10 that we awarded him for the 2024 season, and made it four consecutive years that his end-of-year rating dipped by .5, as he had earned a 7.5 in 2023 and an 8 in 2022. Injuries definitely played a role in the lower grade, as did the team’s overall disappointing performance, but his form and his stats also reflected a player who was slightly less effective in 2025. The red card he received against Atlanta completely changed that game as well, turning a late lead into a loss, and those thrown away points would have been enough for Orlando City to avoid the wild card had the Lions closed out that game successfully. He also had to play with a new primary midfield partner and several part-time replacements for when Atuesta was unavailable, which likely contributed to some of his inconsistency this season. Araújo was still an effective and above-average player in 2025, but he was not the destroyer he had been during his first three seasons in Orlando, and his player rating reflects that.

2026 Outlook

As of this writing, Araújo is out of contract, and while it is not official, it appears like he will not return to Orlando and will move to a new club in 2026 based on internet reports and rumors. While it is still possible that Orlando City is able to work out a new contract with Araújo, all signs point to him having played his last match in Lions purple. There were rumors about him returning to South America prior to the season, and those rumors persist now that he is out of contract heading into the MLS off-season. He was a mainstay in the middle during each of his four seasons in Orlando, and as he is only 24 years old, he has a long career ahead of him still, but unfortunately it seems like that future will not be in Orlando. If he were to sign a new contract, he would be a clear starter once again in the central midfield, but if he does not, then those will be big shoes to fill for the Lions.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

• Colin Guske (10/25/25)
• Joan Gerbet (10/26/25)
• Zakaria Taifi (10/27/25)
• Gustavo Caraballo (10/28/25)
• Javier Otero (10/29/25)
• Shakur Mohammed (10/30/25)
• Thomas Williams (10/31/25)
• Adrian Marin (11/1/25)
• David Brekalo (11/2/25)
• Tyrese Spicer (11/3/25)
• Kyle Smith (11/4/25)
• Nico Rodriguez (11/5/25)
• Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (11/6/25)
• Ivan Angulo (11/6/25)
• Duncan McGuire (11/7/25)
• Luis Muriel (11/8/25)

Orlando City signed Colombian forward Luis Muriel as a Designated Player on a three-year contract through 2026 on Feb. 15, 2024. Muriel had some growing pains in adjusting to his new surroundings during his first season in Orlando, showing glimpses of the player fans thought the club was getting from Italian Serie A side Atalanta, but never really seizing a starting position with the club or showing enough consistency to be relied upon as an offensive threat.

His five goals and seven assists in 33 appearances (14 starts) during his first year in purple were not exactly the DP-level numbers anyone expected, but he was part of a good Orlando side that finished in the top four in the Eastern Conference and reached the conference semifinal in the playoffs. With a full season in the league behind him, it was reasonable to expect more from the crafty attacking player in his sophomore season in the City Beautiful.

His season started off brightly enough and he seemed to hit his stride in August, when he scored five goals over two matches, but Muriel’s performance tailed off at the end of the season. He was by no means the only Lion who seemed to run out of steam in the final two months of the year, but the drop-off in his scoring was partly responsible for Orlando’s tumble from fourth to ninth in the final standings.

Let’s take a look back at Muriel’s second season with Orlando City.

Statistical Breakdown

Muriel played in all four of the Lions’ competitions in 2025. He again appeared in 33 of Orlando City’s 34 regular-season games, but he started 25 times during his second year as a Lion, nearly doubling his total from the previous season, and played a total of 2,114 minutes — an increase of 532 minutes year over year. The 34-year-old scored nine goals and added nine assists. It was reasonable to expect double digits in both columns as he entered September needing just one goal and three assists to reach those totals, but he notched only two assists without a goal after Aug. 23. Muriel completed 72% of his 653 passes in 2025 — a surprising drop from his 81% passing in 2024 on three fewer attempts (despite playing 500+ more minutes), but he increased his number of key passes from 37 a year ago to 42 in 2025, with 13 successful crosses and 14 completed long balls. Defensively, Muriel chipped in 32 tackles, four interceptions, and a blocked shot. He committed 26 fouls, suffered 22, received one yellow card and was sent off once with a straight red.

The veteran attacker came off the bench in Orlando City’s playoff match against the Chicago Fire, playing 21 minutes without a goal contribution, a key pass, or a shot attempt, completing 71% of his 14 passes, although he was accurate on his one long ball. Muriel did not record any defensive stats in the match, did not commit a foul, and was not fouled or booked.

In the club’s U.S. Open Cup run, Muriel appeared in one match off the bench — the Lions’ 3-2 home loss to Nashville on May 21 — playing 29 minutes. He did not contribute to a goal, creating one scoring chance on 64% passing (7/11) with an accurate cross on his lone attempt. On the defensive end, Muriel contributed two clearances. He committed one foul and drew one on Nashville and was not booked in the match.

Muriel made appearances in all six of Orlando City’s 2025 Leagues Cup matches, starting the last four and playing 310 minutes in the competition. He scored three goals and added one assist in the Lions’ Leagues Cup run, putting five of his seven shots on frame. Muriel completed 71.7% of his 99 passes in the tournament with six key passes and one successful cross on three attempts. Defensively, he contributed seven tackles, three clearances, and one block. Muriel committed two fouls, suffered one, and was not booked in the competition.

Best Game

It’s hard not to select Muriel’s first-half hat trick in Orlando City’s 5-1 Leagues Cup win over Necaxa on Aug. 6. It was just the fourth hat trick in the club’s MLS era, joining Martin Ojeda’s from earlier in the season and the two Cyle Larin scored in 2015. However, that was a comfortable win for the Lions and it’s likely Orlando would have won big with a different player in that spot.

Where I think Muriel made a difference in the outcome of the match was his next appearance for the club, City’s 4-1 home win over Inter Miami on Aug. 10. Muriel picked up where he left off against Necaxa, scoring just two minutes into the match on his way to a brace, adding an assist as the Lions swept their Tropic Thunder rivals from South Florida. His first goal of the game was one of Orlando’s best team goals of the season, with Muriel taking a pass from Alex Freeman that Ojeda allowed to go through his legs. Muriel and Ojeda then worked a beautifully timed give-and-go before the Colombian held off a defender and slotted past Oscar Ustari to open the scoring.

After Miami had tied the game, Muriel untied it in the 50th minute. Accepting a short corner from Ojeda, Muriel made a sweet move at the end line to get around a well-positioned defender and then fired a shot from a tight angle that Ustari couldn’t handle, restoring Orlando’s lead.

After scoring Orlando’s first two goals himself, Muriel turned playmaker on the third, sending Ojeda down the right side. Ojeda used his defender as a screen and blasted a shot just inside the near post to make it 3-1.

Muriel came within inches of scoring hat tricks in consecutive games, and the one that didn’t go in would have been a dandy. The Colombian volleyed a poor Ustari clearance toward goal from near midfield in the 20th minute. The shot sliced to the right and hit off the post, denying him consecutive hat tricks. However, it was still his best overall performance of the season. He put four of his five shots on target — his only off-target attempt hitting the post — passed at an 81.3%, created three scoring chances for his teammates, and finished with goal contributions on three of Orlando’s four against the team’s most bitter rival. For his efforts, our Sean Rollins correctly named him Man of the Match in our Player Grades post for the game.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff awarded Muriel a composite rating of 6.5 out of 10 for his 2025 season. This is half a point higher than his 2024 rating of 6. There’s no doubt that Muriel took a step forward in 2025, and he was a dominant player a few times. In August, he was playing his best soccer and it looked like Orlando City might even make a run at the Supporters’ Shield. However, like a few others, Muriel tailed off. Unlike those others, he faded more dramatically down the stretch, earning just a 4.5 rating in three of his last six matches of the year. While the back-to-back games in which he totaled five goals and an assist was perhaps an unsustainable level of form, he largely lived up to the expectations that come with his Designated Player tag up to that point in the season. After August, he hardly played at the level one might expect of a TAM player. Again, he wasn’t the only one who slipped in form, but the team didn’t look as dangerous with him as it did without him over the final six weeks of the season, which prevented a higher grade.

2026 Outlook

Muriel is under contract for one more season, but it might be in the club’s best interests to try to transfer him out before that deal expires. At 34, Muriel’s best years are behind him, and although he was downright lethal at times in 2025, Orlando City might better be served by freeing up that Designated Player slot and using it on someone who can more consistently provide the game-changing plays that the club needs from its DPs. Ojeda and Marco Pasalic (if the latter doesn’t transfer out with reported interest from the Bundesliga) both scored more goals than Muriel and lived up to DP expectations more consistently despite making far less money than Muriel’s $2.5 million base salary and $4 million guaranteed total compensation.

He showed what he can do when he’s at his best, and when he’s at that level, he’s worth being the club’s most expensive player. But if Muriel returns for 2026, the Lions will need him to maintain his form and his consistency during the critical final weeks of the regular season and into the playoffs. Otherwise, that is money that could be better spent.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

• Colin Guske (10/25/25)
• Joan Gerbet (10/26/25)
• Zakaria Taifi (10/27/25)
• Gustavo Caraballo (10/28/25)
• Javier Otero (10/29/25)
• Shakur Mohammed (10/30/25)
• Thomas Williams (10/31/25)
• Adrian Marin (11/1/25)
• David Brekalo (11/2/25)
• Tyrese Spicer (11/3/25)
• Kyle Smith (11/4/25)
• Nico Rodriguez (11/5/25)
• Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (11/6/25)
• Ivan Angulo (11/6/25)
• Duncan McGuire (11/7/25)

Orlando City chose Duncan McGuire with the sixth overall selection in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. He then spent his rookie year locking down the starting striker position and played well enough to get a contract offer from Blackburn Rovers, only for the deal to never materialize due to some issues with the paperwork.

Blackburn’s loss was Orlando City’s gain during the 2024 season, as McGuire contributed 10 goals and three assists to the cause, and earned a new contract in the process. He suffered a shoulder injury in the playoffs that required off-season surgery, meaning that he started the 2025 season on the sidelines as he worked his way back to full fitness. Unfortunately, he then had another shoulder surgery in June of this year, which kept him out until late August.

Let’s take a look at Big Dunc’s 2025 season.

Statistical Breakdown

McGuire made 18 regular-season appearances for Orlando in 2025, with six of them coming as a starter, and accumulated 726 minutes on the field. That limited time in action meant that his numbers took an understandable dip, and he finished with three goals and two assists. He attempted 19 shots and put five of them on target. The big striker passed the ball with 72% accuracy while completing 19 key passes, one cross, and one long ball. Defensively, he recorded one tackle, one interception, and 13 clearances. He also committed eight fouls while suffering 12 and picked up one yellow card.

McGuire started the wild card game up top alongside Martin Ojeda in a 4-4-2, and went the full 90 minutes. He took one shot, which he put on target, and passed the ball with 75% accuracy while also completing one key pass. Defensively, he contributed one clearance and drew one foul.

He appeared in both of Orlando City’s U.S. Open Cup matches as a substitute, compiling 51 minutes on the field. He scored one goal, which came in the 5-0 rout of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, and took two shots (one on target). He contributed one interception and passed with 94.5% accuracy. McGuire committed one foul and was not booked.

The striker made two substitute appearances in Orlando’s Leagues Cup campaign and totaled 23 minutes of action. He took one shot, which was off target, and provided a key pass while distributing the ball with 83.5% accuracy. He contributed one clearance but did not record any other defensive stats.

Best Game

McGuire got his first league goal of the season in a 1-0 home win over the Portland Timbers on May 24. The big forward started up top alongside Luis Muriel and was withdrawn in the 67th minute after smashing a 39th-minute game winner past Maxime Crepeau with authority.

Aside from the goal, McGuire took two shots on the night (one on target), completed one dribble, and passed with 77.8% accuracy while delivering a key pass. Defensively, he contributed one tackle, one interception, and one clearance.

That performance earned him a grade of 7.5 out of 10 from our Nic Josey in his Player Grades piece, and he narrowly missed out on the Man of the Match award to Eduard Atuesta, who also earned a score of 7.5.

2025 Final Grade

The Mane Land staff awarded McGuire a composite grade of 6 out of 10 for the 2025 season, which is a point lower than he earned in 2024, and a point-and-a-half lower than 2023. That being said, context is very important here, as McGuire played almost 900 fewer regular-season minutes than he did in the Lions’ previous campaign. While some of that can be attributed to Luis Muriel keeping him out of the team during a hot start to the campaign, the two months he spent recovering from injury are an extenuating circumstance that can and should be considered.

2026 Outlook

We know that McGuire is under contract with the club through the 2027 season, so barring a sale or trade, he will be in an Orlando City uniform next season. As things currently stand, the striker position isn’t very deep following the departure of Ramiro Enrique, and it could get even shallower if the front office decides to move on from Muriel. The club will presumably target attacking help during the off-season, but McGuire is a known quantity to Oscar Pareja and has shown himself to be capable of scoring goals across multiple seasons, so he figures to have a role to play in the team’s plans at striker.

The biggest question with Duncan right now is whether or not he can stay healthy. Having labral repairs in both shoulders inside a calendar year isn’t exactly a common occurrence, but it’s still never good for a guy to spend that much time on the shelf. He’s been able to score when he’s getting consistent minutes on the field, and that’s the key for him next year. Stay healthy and available, and the goals will likely come.

Previous Season in Review Articles (Date Posted)

• Colin Guske (10/25/25)
• Joan Gerbet (10/26/25)
• Zakaria Taifi (10/27/25)
• Gustavo Caraballo (10/28/25)
• Javier Otero (10/29/25)
• Shakur Mohammed (10/30/25)
• Thomas Williams (10/31/25)
• Adrian Marin (11/1/25)
• David Brekalo (11/2/25)
• Tyrese Spicer (11/3/25)
• Kyle Smith (11/4/25)
• Nico Rodriguez (11/5/25)
• Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (11/6/25)
• Ivan Angulo (11/6/25)