Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Tomás Lemos Araújo | ||
Date of birth | 16 May 2002 | ||
Place of birth | Vila Nova de Famalicão, Portugal | ||
Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Benfica | ||
Number | 44 | ||
Youth career | |||
2010–2015 | Operário Famalicão | ||
2015 | Evolution Soccer Academy | ||
2015–2016 | Palmeiras FC | ||
2016–2022 | Benfica | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | ( Gls) |
2020– | Benfica B | 48 | (3) |
2021– | Benfica | 10 | (0) |
2022–2023 | → Gil Vicente (loan) | 22 | (1) |
International career‡ | |||
2017 | Portugal U15 | 4 | (0) |
2017–2018 | Portugal U16 | 11 | (0) |
2018–2019 | Portugal U17 | 18 | (0) |
2019–2020 | Portugal U18 | 6 | (0) |
2019–2020 | Portugal U19 | 5 | (0) |
2021–2022 | Portugal U20 | 5 | (0) |
2023– | Portugal U21 | 8 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:59, 18 February 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18:33, 20 November 2023 (UTC) |
Tomás Lemos Araújo (born 16 May 2002) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Primeira Liga club Benfica.
Araújo joined Benfica's academy in 2016, aged 14, having previously played at youth level for Operário Famalicão, Palmeiras FC and Evolution Soccer Academy. [1] On 22 May 2018, he signed his first professional contract with Benfica, until 2021. [2]
After rising through the club's youth ranks, Araújo made his professional debut for Benfica's B team on 19 September 2020, coming off the bench to replace Pedro Ganchas on the 71st minute of a 6–0 victory away at Casa Pia, in the Liga Portugal 2. [3] He made his first professional start on 24 October, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 league defeat at home against Académico de Viseu. [4] On 16 January 2021, Araújo scored his first professional goal, the opener in a 2–2 league draw at home to Académica de Coimbra. [5]
On 2 March 2021, Araújo signed a new deal with Benfica. The duration of the contract was undisclosed. [6]
On 15 December 2021, aged 19, Araújo made his debut for Benfica's main team, starting and playing the full match in a 3–0 home victory over Sporting da Covilhã in the Taça da Liga. [7] On 27 February 2022, he made his Primeira Liga debut, coming off the bench to replace Jan Vertonghen in extra-time of a 3–0 home victory over Vitória SC. [8] On 13 May, Araújo made his first Primeira Liga start, playing the full match in a 2–0 victory away at Paços de Ferreira. [9]
On 27 July 2022, Benfica sent Araújo on a season-long loan to fellow Primeira Liga club Gil Vicente. [10] Je made his debut for the Barcelos side on 18 August, starting in a 4–0 defeat away to AZ Alkmaar in the play-off round of the UEFA Europa Conference League. [11] On 3 September, he made his first league appearance for Gil Vicente, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2–0 home defeat to Porto. [12] Araújo scored his first Primeira Liga goal on 5 March 2023, Gil Vicente's second in a 2–0 victory at home against Marítimo. [13]
At the end of the 2022–23 season, Araújo returned to Benfica and, having impressed on loan, on 24 July 2023, he signed a new contract with the Eagles until 2028. [14]
On 3 October 2023, Araújo made his UEFA Champions League debut for Benfica, in a group stage match away at Inter Milan, coming off the bench in the first-half to replace the injured Alexander Bah, and playing the rest of the game as a makeshift right-back; Benfica lost 1–0. [15]
Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Benfica B | 2020–21 | Liga Portugal 2 | 27 | 1 | — | — | — | 27 | 1 | |||
2021–22 | Liga Portugal 2 | 21 | 2 | — | — | — | 21 | 2 | ||||
Total | 48 | 3 | — | — | — | 48 | 3 | |||||
Benfica | 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
2023–24 | Primeira Liga | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 [a] | 0 | 14 | 0 | |
Total | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||
Gil Vicente (loan) | 2022–23 | Primeira Liga | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 [b] | 0 | 26 | 1 |
Career total | 80 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 92 | 4 |
Benfica