Henrique Araújo

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Pereira and the second or paternal family name is Araújo.
Henrique Araújo
Araújo with Benfica in 2022
Personal information
Full name Henrique Pereira Araújo
Date of birth (2002-01-19) 19 January 2002 (age 22)
Place of birth Funchal, Portugal
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Arouca (loan from Benfica)
Number 39
Youth career
2008–2011 Andorinha
2011–2018 Marítimo
2018–2022 Benfica
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020– Benfica B 60 (29)
2022– Benfica 10 (3)
2023 → Watford (loan) 8 (0)
2023–2024 → Famalicão (loan) 20 (0)
2024– → Arouca (loan) 4 (1)
International career‡
2019–2020 Portugal U18 6 (4)
2020 Portugal U19 1 (0)
2021– Portugal U21 23 (9)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:05, 21 September 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:05, 21 September 2024 (UTC)

Henrique Pereira Araújo (Portuguese pronunciation: [ẽˈʁiki aɾaˈuʒu]; born 19 January 2002) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a striker for Primeira Liga club F.C. Arouca, on loan from Benfica.

Club career

Early career

Born in Funchal, the capital of the Portuguese island of Madeira, Araújo started his football career in the youth ranks of local side Andorinha in 2008, and later moved to Marítimo's in 2011.[2] In 2018, aged 16, he went on a week trial with Benfica, who signed him and he subsequently moved from Madeira to Seixal, near Lisbon, to join Benfica's youth academy, despite also having trained with rivals Porto, who declined signing him.[3]

Benfica

2020–22: Rise to the first team and UEFA Youth League

On 5 March 2019, Araújo signed his first professional contract with Benfica B.[4] Araújo made his professional debut with Benfica B in a 1–0 LigaPro loss to Estoril on 4 October 2020.[5] Following a prolific goalscoring form for the B team, to which he scored ten goals and provided three assist, Araújo was promoted to Benfica's first team by interim manager Nélson Veríssimo, making his debut on 2 February 2022, in a 2–1 home loss to Gil Vicente in the Primeira Liga.[6]

He scored his first goal for the club on 11 March in a 1–1 home draw to Vizela.[7] During that season, Araújo played in the 2021–22 UEFA Youth League, scoring a hat-trick in the final on 25 April, in a 6–0 win over Red Bull Salzburg to help Benfica win their first Youth League title, and their first title in European football since the 1961–62 European Cup.[2] In his first start on 13 May, Araújo scored a brace in a 2–0 away win against Paços de Ferreira.[8] On 5 September, he agreed to a contract extension to 2027, increasing his buyout clause to €100 million.[9][10]

On 2 November, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 6–1 away win against Maccabi Haifa in their last 2022–23 UEFA Champions League group stage match, to ensure Benfica's qualification to the round of sixteen, as group winners.[11]

2023: Loan to Watford

After making 14 appearances, finding limited first-team minutes, during Benfica's opening half of the season, on 23 January 2023, Araújo joined English Championship club Watford on loan until the rest of the season, in order to continue his development.[12]

2023–24: Loan to Famalicão

On 18 July 2023, Primeira Liga club Famalicão announced the signing of Araújo on a season-long loan from Benfica.[13]

International career

Araújo represented Portugal at under-17 and under-19, for a total of 7 caps, scoring four goals.[2] On 7 October 2022, Araújo won his first cap for the under-21 side, replacing Gonçalo Ramos in the 46th minute in the 11–0 victory thrashing of Liechtenstein for the 2023 European Championship qualification campaign.[14]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 8 October 2023[15]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[a] League Cup[b] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Benfica B 2020–21 Liga Portugal 2 28 11 — — — — 28 11
2021–22 26 14 — — — — 26 14
2022–23 6 4 — — — — 6 4
Total 60 29 — — — — 60 29
Benfica 2021–22 Primeira Liga 5 3 — 1 0 — — 6 3
2022–23 Primeira Liga 5 0 2 0 2 0 5[c] 2 — 14 2
Total 10 3 2 0 3 0 5 2 — 20 5
Watford (loan) 2022–23 Championship 8 0 — — — — 8 0
Famalicão (loan) 2023–24 Primeira Liga 8 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 8 0
Career total 86 32 2 0 3 0 5 2 — 96 34
  1. ^ Includes Taça de Portugal
  2. ^ Includes Taça da Liga
  3. ^ Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League

Honours

Benfica

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Henrique Araújo". S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "O voo de Henrique Araújo, do início no Andorinha aos golos pelas águias – e a um recorde na Youth League".
  3. ^ "O craque que ambicionava ser político e promete tanto no Benfica".
  4. ^ "Henrique Araújo assina contrato profissional até 2022". SL Benfica (in Portuguese). 5 March 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Benfica II vs. Estoril - 4 October 2020 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com.
  6. ^ "Henrique Araújo estreia-se na Liga pelo Benfica". dnoticias.pt.
  7. ^ "Henrique Araújo estreia-se a marcar pela equipa principal". abola.pt.
  8. ^ "BENFICA VENCE EM PAÇOS DE FERREIRA (2-0) COM BIS DE HENRIQUE ARAÚJO". abola.pt.
  9. ^ "Henrique Araújo e António Silva renovam contratos". A Bola (in Portuguese). 5 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  10. ^ "As cláusulas de rescisão de António Silva e Henrique Araújo". A Bola (in Portuguese). 5 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  11. ^ Matthew, Marshall (2 November 2022). "Benfica crush Maccabi Haifa to snatch top spot from PSG in Group H". PortuGOAL. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  12. ^ "Oficial: Henrique Araújo emprestado ao Watford". 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Henrique Araújo é reforço para o ataque" [Henrique Araújo is reinforcement for the attack] (in European Portuguese). FC Famalicão. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  14. ^ "Portugal vs. Liechtenstein".
  15. ^ Henrique Araújo at Soccerway. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  16. ^ Kundert, Tom (27 May 2023). "Benfica crowned champions of Portugal". PortuGOAL. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  17. ^ Conheça os 24 heróis da Youth League
  18. ^ "Henrique Araújo wins Young Player of the Year in Liga Portugal SABSEG". Liga Portugal. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  19. ^ "Henrique Araújo: "Prémio significa que o meu trabalho está a ser bem feito"".