Tomás Lemos Araújo (; born 16 May 2002) is a Portuguese professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who plays as a

centre-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...

or a

right-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...

for

Primeira Liga The Primeira Liga (), also known as Liga Portugal Betclic for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Portugal and the highest level of the Portuguese football league system. Organised and supervised by the Liga ...

club Benfica and the Portugal national team. Coming through Benfica's youth system, Araújo impressed during his time with the reserve side, winning the

UEFA Youth League The UEFA Youth League is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) since 2013. In its current format, it is contested by the under-19 teams of the clubs competing in the UEFA Champions Le ...

in 2021–22, being instrumental part of Benfica's first European trophy in 60 years. He was promoted to the first team in 2021, and subsequently loaned to

Gil Vicente Gil Vicente (; c. 1465c. 1536), called the Trobadour, was a Portuguese playwright and poet who acted in and directed his own plays. Considered the chief dramatist of Portugal he is sometimes called the "Portuguese Plautus," often refe ...

in 2022. He returned to Benfica in 2023, established himself as an integral player in the following years. Araújo is a former Portugal youth international, representing his country at various levels. He made his senior international debut in 2024.

Club career

Benfica

2020–22: Early career

Araújo joined Benfica's academy in 2016, aged 14, having previously played at youth level for Operário Famalicão, Palmeiras FC and Evolution Soccer Academy. On 22 May 2018, he signed his first professional contract with Benfica, until 2021. 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 The Casa Pia is a Portuguese institution founded by Maria I, known as ''A Pia'' ("Mary the Pious"), and organized by Police Intendant Pina Manique in 1780, following the social disarray of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. For almost three centurie ...

, in the

Liga Portugal 2 The Liga Portugal 2 (), also known as Liga Portugal Meu Super for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division of the Portuguese football league system. At the end of each season, the two top-finishing teams are promoted to the top-tier Pr ...

. 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. On 16 January 2021, Araújo scored his first professional goal, the opener in a 2–2 league draw at home to Académica de Coimbra. On 2 March, Araújo signed a new deal with Benfica. The duration of the contract was undisclosed. 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 Sporting may refer to: *Sport, recreational games and play *Sporting (neighborhood), in Alexandria, Egypt Sports clubs *Alexandria Sporting Club, a sports club from Alexandria, Egypt * BFA Sporting, a football club from Beirut, Lebanon *Real Sport ...

in the

Taça da Liga The Taça da Liga (), known outside Portugal as Portuguese League Cup, is an annual club football competition organised by the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional (LPFP) for teams competing in the top two tiers of Portuguese football – the ...

. On 27 February 2022, he made his

debut, coming off the bench to replace

Jan Vertonghen Jan Bert Lieve Vertonghen (; born 24 April 1987) is a Belgian former professional footballer who played as a defender. Mainly a centre-back, he also played as a left-back. Vertonghen began his senior career at Dutch club Ajax in 2006, and total ...

in extra-time of a 3–0 home victory over

Vitória de Guimarães Vitoria or Vitória may refer to: People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Sofia Vitória (bor ...

. On 13 May, Araújo made his first Primeira Liga start, playing the full match in a 2–0 victory away at

Paços de Ferreira Paços de Ferreira () is a city in the Porto District, in the north of Portugal. The population of the city in 2011 was 7491, while its municipality had 56,340 inhabitants, in an area of 70.99 km². Sometimes referred to as the ''Capital do ...

2022–24: Loan to Gil Vicente and development

On 27 July 2022, Benfica sent Araújo on a season-long

loan In finance, a loan is the tender of money by one party to another with an agreement to pay it back. The recipient, or borrower, incurs a debt and is usually required to pay interest for the use of the money. The document evidencing the deb ...

to fellow Primeira Liga club

. He made his debut for the Barcelos side on 18 August, starting in a 4–0 defeat away to

AZ Alkmaar Alkmaar Zaanstreek (), better known internationally as AZ Alkmaar, or simply and most commonly as AZ () in the Netherlands, is a Dutch professional Association football, football club from Alkmaar and the Zaan#The Zaan district, Zaan district. ...

in the

play-off round The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

of the

UEFA Europa Conference League The UEFA Conference League (UECL), usually known simply as the Conference League, is an annual association football, football competition organised since 2021 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European foot ...

. 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 Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...

. Araújo scored his first Primeira Liga goal on 5 March 2023, Gil Vicente's second in a 2–0 victory at home against Marítimo. 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. On 3 October, Araújo made his

UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...

debut for Benfica, in a

group stage A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...

match away at

Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...

, coming off the bench in the first-half to replace the injured

Alexander Bah Alexander Hartmann Bah (born 9 December 1997) is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Primeira Liga club Benfica and the Denmark national team. After coming through Næsby's youth academy, he was promoted to the first ...

, and playing the rest of the game as a makeshift

; Benfica lost 1–0. He scored his first goal for the club on 14 April 2024, in a 3–0 home win over

Moreirense Moreirense Futebol Clube is a Portuguese professional football club based in Moreira de Cónegos, Guimarães Municipality, Minho. Founded on 1 November 1938, it plays in the Primeira Liga, holding home games at Parque de Jogos Comendador Joaquim d ...

in the

. During the match, he sprained his right ankle, forcing him to miss rest of the season.

2024–25: First-team breakthrough

In October 2024, following the arrival of new manager Bruno Lage, Araújo earned a place in the starting XI over António Silva, starting in a 4–0 win over

Atlético Madrid Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), commonly referred to as Atlético Madrid or simply Atlético, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid that plays in La Liga. The club play their home game ...

on 2 October in the Champions League league phase. Due to his passing quality when building from the back and speed, Lage considered him crucial for the team's dynamics, as he aided in covering defensive gaps and recovering quickly, making him a better fit for Lage's system. After capitalizing on his opportunities, with strong performances, he kept his place as a starter, due to also his reliability to play across different positions in the defense. He was named the league's Defender of the Month for November, after helping Benfica in the four-match winning streak, which included two clean sheets.

International career

With the Portugal under-17s, Araújo took participated in the

2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship The 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship (also known as UEFA Under-17 Euro 2019) was the 18th edition of the UEFA European Under-17 Championship (37th edition if the Under-16 era is also included), the annual international youth association fo ...

in Ireland, playing four matches losing in the quarter-finals to

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. On 24 March 2023, he earned his first

appearance Appearance may refer to: * Visual appearance, the way in which objects reflect and transmit light * Human physical appearance, what someone looks like * ''Appearances'' (film), a 1921 film directed by Donald Crisp * Appearance (philosophy), or ...

for the under-21 team, starting in a 2–0 friendly victory against

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

. In June, he took part in the

2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship The 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship (also known as UEFA Under-21 Euro 2023) was the 24th edition of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship (27th edition if the Under-23 era is also included), the biennial international youth Association f ...

. Portugal were eliminated from the tournament, on 2 July, after a 1–0 loss to

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in the quarter-finals. On 8 October 2024, Araújo received his first call-up to the senior squad for the

UEFA Nations League The UEFA Nations League is an international European football competition played by the senior men's national teams of the member associations of UEFA, the sport's European governing body. The competition was devised to minimise friendlies a ...

matches against

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

, as a replacement for the injured

Gonçalo Inácio Gonçalo Bernardo Inácio (; born 25 August 2001) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Primeira Liga club Sporting CP and the Portugal national team. Coming through Sporting CP's youth academy, he made his fir ...

. On 18 November, he made his debut in a 1–1 draw against the latter; Portugal had already secured first place in their group with one fixture remaining.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honours

Benfica B *

: 2021–22 Benfica *

: 2024–25 *

Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira The Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (; English: Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup, or simply Portuguese Super Cup) is an annual Portuguese association football, football match played since 1979 between the winners of the top-tier league (Primeira L ...

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

Individual *

Team of the Tournament: 2021–22

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Araujo, Tomas 2002 births Living people Footballers from Vila Nova de Famalicão Portuguese men's footballers Men's association football central defenders S.L. Benfica B players S.L. Benfica footballers Gil Vicente F.C. players Liga Portugal 2 players Primeira Liga players 21st-century Portuguese sportsmen Portugal men's youth international footballers Portugal men's under-21 international footballers Portugal men's international footballers