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Fullname: Julián Vicente Araujo Zúñiga
aka: Julian Vicente Araujo Zuniga, Julian Araujo
Born: 13 August 2001
Birthplace: Lompoc, California, USA
Signed: 2 Jan 2026 (on loan from Bournemouth for 6 months)
Left: 10 Apr 2026 (returned early from loan due to injury)
Position: Defender, Right-Back
Debut: Celtic 1-3 TheRangers, SP, 3 Jan 2026
Squad No.: 22
Internationals: Mexico
International Caps: [TBC at end of career]
International Goals: [TBC at end of career]
Biog
“Playing for Celtic is nuts.”
Araujo (Feb 2026)
Julian Araujo had a career with some stellar moments, yet too often it was deemed to be so near yet so far. He was US born & raised but opted to play for Mexico. Having done well with MLS side LA Galaxy, he moved to Barcelona (only after some headaches in the transfer move), but failed to make a single first team appearance, with only a season loan at Las Palmas (Spain) in the second tier giving him match time. His time there was notable for a four game suspension following a red card for violent conduct in a match! So a live wire. Bournemouth then stepped in to take on the EPL in 2024, but again won little match time, with only 14 match appearances up to his loan move out to Celtic.
Ex-Celt Ryan Christie provided a glowing reference of the club to Araujo, and the player was sold on a move to once again try to kick-start his career. He had hardly played for around six months to his arrival, his only appearance in the whole season previously was way back in August 2025 when he was sent off in a defeat for his parent club. So it was a gamble for both sides.
Julian Araujo arrived at a dishvelled Celtic who were duly going through turmoil on-field, and duly the next day Celtic were defeated 3-1 by TheRangers in the New Years Day Glasgow Derby which saw Wilfried Nancy sacked as manager after a brief 33 day reign. He came on late in the match but it was a dead rubber by then already, and he could do little to help. He later admitted that the swift removal of Nancy was a knock but clearly didn’t impact his contribution to Celtic to come:
“With Nancy leaving, obviously, it does play with your head a little bit, because he was the one who brought me in.”
In any case, with all at square one, it was a major chance to help find himself a role in the chaos. With first choice right-back Alistair Johnstone out for much of the season with injury, whilst backups Ralston & Donovan (in his debut season) deemed as underpar, there was definitely a role there for Araujo.
Unsurprisingly from his past history, some opined that in his first start he was fortunate to not see red (4-0 v Dundee Utd, Jan 2026), wwith The Ref’s View account on twitter opining: “This is as clear a red card as ever you will see. Nick didn’t have a great view but what is the sole raison d’etre of VAR – to get things correct. This is nothing less than shocking from the VAR. However, SFA sanction these appointees.”
Despite that, he soon made a name for himself, especially in irking the opposition players with his antics. A sturdy defender, he had good pace and assurance on the ball, and was willing to cover the entire right side of the pitch both in attack & defence. Admittedly, for all his wind up skills and willingness to get in the faces of players, he still could have been more forthright but he was clearly developing, and for a guy who had struggled for gametime in recent seasons, you could see his talent which was being wasted in the reserves elsewhere.
He loved to entertain too, most notably demonstrated in a Scottish Cup win v Dundee (2-1, Feb 2026) when cornered by two Dundee players he kept the ball under pressure before doing a backflip (keeping the ball between his feet!) and passing it away in one move!
His most celebrated moment was scoring at the death on the 97th min mark for a 3-2 win over Kilmarnock after Celtic had been 2-0 down at half-time. He didn’t half enjoy the moment too jumping into the crowd with everyone in rapture, and even took the yellow card in his stride:
“Playing for Celtic is nuts. You can see why. You can see the pitch was filled with fans and I’ve never seen that in my life. I never had a moment like that where I was involved, where I scored a goal and it’s a moment that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”
Unsurprisingly, he got involved in a bit of a rammy at the end of the 2-2 league match draw v TheRangers at Ibrox, having played his part in a Celtic side bolstered having come from 2-0 down. Manager Martin O’Neill had to come onto the pitch to separate players in the ensuing melee. It made all the Celtic fans laugh, and you could see Arajuo was enjoying himself with his confidence boosted as he grew as a player, and simply he was feeling at home in the Glasgow football cauldron. This platform was demonstrating his talent & ability.
He then also played his part in the Scottish Cup match v TheRangers won on penalties after a drab 0-0 draw. Taking in how heavily was under pressure that day, he deserved honours alongside the rest of the defence well marshalled by Trustry. He later celebrated the win in town with a clip of his monkeying around going viral, endearing him even more to the support.
Then it all just seemed to ground to a halt. Returning to his home club due to an injury, he then posted a cryptic message that seemed to indicate that his time at Celtic was over (and possibly his season):
Araujo’s message quoted bible verse Genesis 19:17 and translates as, “What God left behind will never be better than what lies ahead.”
Taking in that in his now absence, Celtic had just lost to Dundee Utd the weekend before once again heavily damaging the league title challenge. It was an incredibly poor display by the first team which lacked the kind of heart & determination that Araujo had brought to the club, so his loss now to the squad was another blow to potentially lose this popular player, for many a bitter blow in a season full of them. Next thing you know, he released another cryptic message the next day indicating about a return! It was just confusing, with a generally mixed response on these shenanigans at this time.
However, it was then confirmed that he was now ruled out for 7-8 weeks with a quad strain, effectively ending his loan season at Celtic. It was heart-breaking for Celtic fans, as Araujo was seen as the best signing in the entire season (with all due respect to Nygren), and unarguably the only positive move to come out of the entire Wilfried Nancy era!
[….]
Quotes
“I think that’s probably one of the things that I’ve most noticed, is how friendly the people are and how accepting they are. Everywhere I go, there’s a Celtic fan. So I’ve been recognised everywhere. But I think my teammates have been very, very helpful in this adjustment.”
Julian Araujo (Feb 2026)
“Playing for Celtic is nuts. You can see why. You can see the pitch was filled with fans and I’ve never seen that in my life. I never had a moment like that where I was involved, where I scored a goal and it’s a moment that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”
Araujo (Mar 2026)
Araujo’s message quoted bible verse Genesis 19:17 and translates as, “What God left behind will never be better than what lies ahead.”
Araujo’s strange msg on his return due to injury to Bournemouth (Mar 2026)
Playing Career
[Table to indicate clubs played for, including dates, transfers and fees where known [e.g. soccerbase table]]
| APPEARANCES (subs) |
LEAGUE | SCOTTISH CUP | LEAGUE CUP | EUROPE | TOTAL |
| 2025-26 | 10 | 2 | – | 1 | 13 |
| Goals | 1 | 0 | – | 0 | 1 |
| 2026-27 | |||||
| Goals | |||||
| 2027-28 | |||||
| Goals | |||||
| 2028-29 | |||||
| Goals | |||||
| Total | |||||
| Goals |
Honours with Celtic
(Honours are marked below in which the player has played in at least one of the matches in the campaign.)
Scottish League
- […]
Scottish Cup
- […complete at end of season…]
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Articles
Welcome to Celtic, Julián Araujo
First Team
By Celtic Football Club
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02 Jan 2026, 10:57 am
Celtic are delighted to announce that Julián Araujo has joined the club on loan from Bournemouth until the end of this season.
The 24-year-old defender, who has been capped 16 times for Mexico, joins Wilfried Nancy’s squad ahead of their first game of 2026 – a derby clash against Rangers at Celtic Park this Saturday (KO: 12.30pm).
Julián Araujo, who was born in California, began his professional career in the MLS with LA Galaxy before joining Barcelona in February 2023.
He spent the following season on loan at Spanish side, Las Palmas, before making the move to Bournemouth in August 2024.
Speaking after completing his loan move, the defender said: “I am really happy to join Celtic. This is a top club and I can’t wait to get going and work hard with the other players to bring our fans success.
“I know the demands at a club like Celtic, and I am ready for these. I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead and I want to play my part in bringing good times and good, winning football to our supporters.
“I have met the boys already. We have some great players in the squad and we are all ready to tackle the second half of the season and do as much as we can for the fans.”
Celtic Manager, Wilfried Nancy added: “We are delighted to bring Julián to Celtic. He is a really talented player with a good level of experience and we think the qualities he will bring will be really beneficial to the squad.”
Celtic sign Bournemouth’s Araujo on loan
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c98jykn93d2o
2 Jan 2026
Celtic have signed Bournemouth defender Julian Araujo on loan for the rest of the season.
The Mexican, who can operate at full-back and wing-back, becomes Wilfried Nancy’s first signing for Celtic and is likely to feature on the right side of the new manager’s preferred 3-4-3 formation.
The most recent of the 24-year-old’s 14 Bournemouth appearances came in an EFL Cup loss to Brentford in August, with Araujo sent off for a second booking.
He previously played for LA Galaxy and Las Palmas, the latter on loan from Barcelona.
“This is a top club and I can’t wait to get going and work hard with the other players to bring our fans success,” Araujo told Celtic media.
“I know the demands at a club like Celtic, and I am ready for these. I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead and I want to play my part in bringing good times and good, winning football to our supporters.
“I have met the boys already. We have some great players in the squad and we are all ready to tackle the second half of the season and do as much as we can for the fans.”
Nancy said: “We are delighted to bring Julian to Celtic. He is a really talented player with a good level of experience and we think the qualities he will bring will be really beneficial to the squad.”
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Martin O’Neill’s genius laid bare by Julian Araujo as Celtic man cherishes new boss
Martin Crawford
Martin Crawford
Wed 11 February 2026 17:15, UK
Julian Araujo is Celtic’s only winter signing not brought in by Martin O’Neill.
He was signed by Wilfried Nancy and Paul Tisdale, less than a week before the pair were sacked after a disastrous eight games at the club.
Despite this, Araujo has emerged as a reliable contributor under O’Neill, deputising for the injured Alistair Johston.
As a result, he was one of the three new additions chosen by O’Neill to be part of Celtic’s Europa League squad for their upcoming tie against Stuttgart and potentially beyond.
It has been a successful loan move so far… but how is the right-back finding life under the interim boss?
Julian Araujo on Celtic boss Martin O’Neill
Araujo was named man of the match in Celtic’s 2-0 win over Falkirk before playing all 120 minutes of Saturday’s win over Dundee.
A Mexico international, he has his eye on a spot in their squad for a home World Cup this summer.
And with how things are going for him under the Hoops icon, Araujo is giving himself the best possible chance.
He said on the Celtic FC Podcast: “Yeah, I think I’m enjoying it a lot. You can see that I am, I think.
“They’re letting me play freely, I think. They’re not really giving me much in my head to do. They’re not giving me a lot of specifics.
“I think they’re just keeping it really simple for me. They know my capabilities. They know what I’m doing.
“I think Martin O’Neill is just very… honest. He knows what he wants, he knows what he’s going to tell you. He’ll tell you if you play bad, he’ll tell you if you play well. He’ll tell you what he doesn’t want you to do!
“But it’s been really good. I’ve been enjoying it, definitely. I think you can see that the squad is also enjoying it.
“Our performances have been good, whether we haven’t played well, I feel like we still know what we can give.
“You know, after the last game (against Dundee), we knew it was going to be tough, but we grinded it out and we did whatever we could.
“But yeah, I’m enjoying it – not just Martin and Shaun… Fozzy, Mick, everybody involved in his staff has been very good.
“So credit to them. Also, all the analysts, they’ve also helped me. I’m a guy that likes to learn and look at film a lot.”
Despite only being aged 24, it’s fair to say that Araujo has had an eventful career so far.
He made over 100 appearances for LA Galaxy, mostly as a teenager, earning a dream move to Barcelona which almost fell through when the transfer was signed off 14 seconds after the deadline.
The Catalan giants lodged a successful appeal, but Araujo never made a competitive appearance for the club, spending time on loan at Las Palmas in the 2023-24 season.
This led Bournemouth to sign him for €10million, and after a patchy first season, he fell out of favour during this campaign, leading to his loan to Glasgow.
Born and raised in the United States, he represented the USA at five different age levels before appearing in a friendly in 2020. However, he made the decision to switch to Mexico a year later, earning 16 caps since.
Julian Araujo ranks Celtic goal as number one in his career after ‘insane’ fan scenes at Kilmarnock
Patrick Sinat
Tue 17 February 2026 10:30, UK
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Julian Araujo undoubtedly created one of the most iconic Celtic moments of this season in the 3-2 win at Kilmarnock.
The Mexican right-back was crucial as Celtic’s win at Kilmarnock puts the title race back in the Bhoys’ hands with one game in hand.
Araujo’s first-ever Celtic goal could not have come at a better time as the Hoops battered Kilmarnock into submission in the 97th minute at Rugby Park.
And speaking about the scenes during and after the goal celebrations, Araujo admits Celtic fans have given a moment that will live with him for the rest of his life.
Julian Araujo says Celtic fans gave him ‘one of the craziest moments’ of his life
The Mexican defender signed for Celtic on the 2nd of January and has made nine appearances this season but he ranks his goal as the best of his career so far.
Araujo told the post-match press conference, “The goal? That’s probably, like, number one. Number one because the fans are crazy. I didn’t even know what I was doing.
“I just lost myself and I just saw so many people. Everybody was giving me kisses. I don’t even know what the hell happened.
“It was crazy. One of the craziest moments of my life, yeah. I just went with whatever. I just kept it going, kept the flow going.”
Julian Araujo has never ‘felt anything like’ the Celtic celebrations
Araujo has made 161 career appearances for teams like LA Galaxy, Las Palmas and Bournemouth but it’s at Celtic where he has a memory that will last for the rest of his life.
Araujo continued, “Playing for Celtic is nuts. You can see why. You can see the pitch was filled with fans and I’ve never seen that in my life. I never had a moment like that where I was involved, where I scored a goal and it’s a moment that I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.
“It’s a moment that I’ll carry with me and that I’ll be grateful for. It’s crazy. It’s a beautiful feeling obviously, I’ve never felt anything like that.”
If Araujo thinks that was good, wait until he experiences wins against Rangers at Ibrox, or big wins in Europe at Celtic Park then his Kilmarnock memory will be equalled or bettered.
Julian Araujo admits Wilfried Nancy leaving Celtic ‘played with my head’, as he thanks sacked coach
Amir Mir
Thu 5 March 2026 12:00, UK
The Wilfried Nancy era at Celtic was a nightmare of the highest order, but he did do one thing right, and that’s sign Julian Araujo.
Amazingly enough, Araujo was Nancy’s only signing, and it could be argued that he is Celtic’s best purchase from the January transfer window.
Before Celtic’s win over Aberdeen on Wednesday night, Araujo wanted to give flowers to Nancy for ‘giving me the opportunity’ to play for the Hoops.
“I am very thankful to Nancy for bringing me into this club, for giving me the opportunity, from Bournemouth, where I wasn’t getting any minutes,” said Araujo.
“With Nancy leaving, obviously, it does play with your head a little bit, because he was the one who brought me in.”
Julian Araujo on being Wilfried Nancy’s only signing at Celtic
Araujo has been outstanding for Celtic, and many now want his loan deal from Bournemouth to become permanent in the summer.
It perhaps sums up the crazy nature of football when the Mexico international signs for Celtic, makes his debut in the Glasgow derby at Parkhead, and then the man who brought him in is booted out of the door.
But Araujo understands that all of that is just simply part and parcel of what the modern game is like, as he told Sky Sports Football (04/03/26).
Luke Shanley: “You sign under one manager, and then he leaves very quickly after that and a new one, I was going to say comes in, but comes back. What’s that like?”
Araujo: “It’s part of football. I have been through it already, early on in my career. I am very thankful to Nancy for bringing me into this club, for giving me the opportunity, from Bournemouth, where I wasn’t getting any minutes.
“My main goal was to get to a team where I could play games and help them out as much as possible. With Nancy leaving, obviously, it does play with your head a little bit, because he was the one who brought me in.”
Araujo on speaking to Shaun Maloney before joining Celtic
The one thing that allowed Araujo to breathe easier when Nancy was booted out of Celtic was the fact that he spoke with Shaun Maloney.
Araujo didn’t go into detail about what he said, but he spoke with the Hoops legend when Nancy was still at Lennoxtown.
So when Martin O’Neill returned, alongside Maloney, it made life easier for Araujo.
“But before I came, I also spoke to Shaun Maloney,” added Araujo. “When I knew that Martin was going to come back, and he was going to be part of the coaching staff. I felt more reassured, I think.”
‘Why didn’t you warn me?’: What Julian Araujo said about Celtic to Bournemouth pal Ryan Christie
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/latest-celtic-news/why-didnt-you-warn-me-what-julian-araujo-said-about-celtic-to-bournemouth-pal-ryan-christie-6047493
Matthew Elder
By Matthew Elder
Deputy Sports Editor
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Published 21st Mar 2026, 22:45 GMT
Ryan Christie has revealed that he helped convince Bournemouth team-mate Julian Araujo to complete his loan move to Celtic.
Mexican right-back Araujo has proved a popular addition at Celtic Park since his January arrival for his aggressive and emotional performances, particularly in the derbies against Rangers.
He also scored a 97th-minute winner in a 3-2 comeback victory over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park last month. His celebration – leaping into the away stand to join the supporters – further endeared him to the Celtic fanbase.
Christie spent six years at Celtic and won multiple trophies prior to joining Bournemouth in 2021. Asked if he had a hand in Araujo making the move to his former club, the Scotland midfielder replied: “I did.
“He was actually down in Bournemouth a couple of days ago. It was funny speaking to him about it. Very, very funny. I tried to warn him before he went up.
“I said, the fans are a different level up there. Get ready for that.
“And the first thing he said is, why didn’t you warn me? He’s loved it. He’s absolutely loved it, to be fair. He’s picked up a wee knock, so he’s desperate to get fit again as soon as he can and get back playing. He’s loved Glasgow. He’s a good laugh. Yeah, he’s a good fit.”
It remains to be seen whether Araujo’s move to Celtic will be made permanent given the challenge of high wage demands and his existing long-term contract with Bournemouth, which runs until 2029.
Christie added: “I think he’s got a big enough personality to go and deal with the Old Firm.”