Midfielder Cesar Araujo Announces Departure from Orlando City

The long-rumored and long-reported departure of Orlando City central midfielder Cesar Araujo is officially here. The Uruguayan announced his departure late Friday afternoon on Instagram after finishing the season out of contract — a fact that in itself didn’t prove he was leaving but made it likely.

The translation of Araujo’s message into English (per Google Translate) is as follows:

Dear Orlando,

After these four wonderful years, our paths diverge today. I arrived in this beautiful city and at this club at 20 years old, with many dreams and a huge challenge ahead: taking my first professional step away from my beloved Wanderers.

From the first day I arrived, my teammates, technical staff, club personnel and the fans made me feel like one of them.

I enjoyed every game and every training session like no other, and I always gave my all. I was able to become a champion, an achievement I will remember forever and carry in my heart. My wife and I had the joy of our daughter Isabella being born here. It will be an eternal memory of this beautiful city.

Today I must say goodbye to face new challenges in my sports career.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Lions.

Cesar Araujo

Araujo signed with Orlando City as an MLS U22 Initative player on Jan. 7, 2022, as the club’s first player to occupy a slot in that league development mechanism and spent four outstanding seasons as the Lions’ primary midfield stopper. He became a starter in the midfield almost immediately, prompting the departure of former starter Sebas Mendez, who transferred to LAFC in July of that season. Araujo’s initial deal was through 2024 with a 2025 option year, and he moved off his MLS U22 Initiative slot in 2024. His 2025 option year was triggered automatically through performance metrics during the 2024 season.

During his four seasons in Orlando, Araujo solidified the Lions’ midfield, with a gift for putting opposing attackers in his pocket, giving coverage to the back line, drawing tons of fouls to win free kicks and relieve pressure, and racking up yellow cards like they were collectors’ items. That is, after all, the hallmark of a good, physical central midfielder.

This season, Araujo played his fewest games and minutes since joining the club due to injuries — most notably a back issue late in the year. He appeared in just 22 matches (20 starts) after reaching or surpassing 30 (and at least 28 starts) in each of the previous three years for a total of 1,801 minutes — his lowest season total in Orlando by more than 600 minutes. However, he ironically had his best offensive season as a Lion, scoring a career-high two goals and adding three assists. His five goal contributions matched his 2023 total (one goal, four assists), but all of his 2025 assists were primary assists, while his four 2023 assists were split evenly between two primary and two secondary helpers.

Araujo departs having appeared in 115 regular-season matches (106 starts), having scored four goals in MLS play and adding nine assists in 9,330 minutes played. His passing was excellent, as he connected on 89.8% of his attempts over his four seasons in Major League Soccer with 64 key passes, and he put 17 of his 82 shots on target. He committed 167 fouls, but drew 298 on the competition, and was shown 33 yellow cards and two red cards in his time with the Lions during the regular season. Defensively, Araujo racked up 233 tackles, 92 interceptions, 100 clearances, and 29 blocks.

In the playoffs, Araujo started all 10 of Orlando City’s postseason games over the past four seasons, playing 910 of 930 available minutes. The midfielder did not contribute a playoff goal, but he provided two postseason assists. He didn’t put any of his nine playoff shots on target. Araujo completed 90.1% of his postseason passes and created chances with five key passes. On the defensive end, the midfielder compiled 16 tackles, one interception, 10 clearances, and three blocks. He picked up 10 fouls, drew 19 on his opponents, and earned three yellow cards in the playoffs.

Araujo was instrumental in helping the Lions win the 2022 U.S. Open Cup championship — the “becoming a champion” he referenced in his goodbye post — by scoring his first two goals as a Lion in a 5-1 semifinal rout of the New York Red Bulls on July 27, 2022. In all, Araujo appeared in nine games (eight starts) in the competition, playing 688 minutes. He scored two goals but did not register an assist, attempting four shots and putting two on frame. He passed at an 88% success rate with four key passes in the midseason tournament. On the defensive side, some of the stats tracked are a bit spotty, but Araujo recorded six tackles and nine interceptions. He committed 13 fouls while drawing 25 on his opponents and earned three yellow cards.

The Uruguayan’s career in Orlando was not coincidentally linked to the club’s first appearances in the Concacaf Champions League/Cup, as the Lions’ midfield play was instrumental in helping Orlando City qualify. Araujo helped the Lions qualify for the tournament in 2023 and 2024 and appeared in five of the club’s six matches during those seasons, starting five and playing 389 minutes without a goal contribution. Araujo attempted seven shots, putting just one on target and adding two key passes. He was booked twice but was not sent off.

Finally, in Leagues Cup play, Araujo started all 12 of Orlando City’s matches in the competition over the past three seasons, compiling 1,080 minutes. He scored one goal and added an assist, putting three of his eight shots on target, although he failed to score on his penalty attempt in the shootout loss to Pumas in 2025. Araujo completed his passes at just under 90% and recorded 12 key passes in the international competition, helping the Lions finish fourth in 2025 — the team’s deepest run in the tournament to date. Defensively, the Uruguayan logged 10 tackles, 10 interceptions, five clearances, and four blocks, committing 11 fouls, drawing 31 on his opponents, and earning two yellow cards.

The writing was on the wall for Araujo’s departure as instead of rumblings of a new contract during the 2025 season, there were reports that he was close to an exit in the summer transfer window. That never materialized, but the more time that went by without a new contract being announced, the more likely it became that the Uruguayan would seek to maximize his options by leaving on a free this off-season.

What It Means for Orlando City

It will not be easy to replace Araujo, who formed one of the best central midfield partnerships in Major League Soccer with Wilder Cartagena prior to the Peruvian’s season-ending Achilles injury just before the 2025 season. The Lions re-signed Cartagena through 2026 with an option for 2027 earlier this week, but it remains to be seen how the 31-year-old will return from a serious injury. Cartagena would pair with Eduard Atuesta in Orlando City’s central midfield double pivot if he can regain his form, but Atuesta isn’t as physical at the No. 8 and isn’t a like-for-like for Araujo, who could swap the No. 6 and No. 8 spots with Cartagena at will without any notable difference in performance.

Behind those two is Homegrown Colin Guske and 2025 MLS SuperDraft selection Joran Gerbet, who saw his rookie season cut short late in the year with a major knee injury. Gerbet’s return will take awhile, so it seems logical for the Lions to invest in some insurance at the position, given the questions about Cartagena and Gerbet and Guske’s inexperience.

Meanwhile, Araujo, 24, leaves the club coming off his most difficult season with the Lions but just entering the prime of his career. He’ll help his new team wherever he goes, and leaving on a free gives him the option of finding the best landing spot for he and his family. Orlando City fans will miss his steady play in the middle and hope that Ricardo Moreira can shore up that roster position. While a Cartagena-Atuesta pairing is intriguing, there would be risk entering 2026 with that as the primary plan, despite having Dagur Dan Thorhallsson (more akin to a replacement for Atuesta than Araujo) under contract. If re-signed, Kyle Smith can help provide depth at the No. 6 spot (and everywhere else, as usual), but he doesn’t have Araujo’s mobility or bite.