Barcelona's youth players, led by adolescent star Gavi, were instrumental in the team's victory against rival Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup, which was the club's first trophy in nearly two years.
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After raucous celebrations on the Saudi Arabian field, Araujo exclaimed, "A new era has begun," and dashed back to the locker room with his trophy.
Barcelona is fervently hoping for a fresh beginning after winning their first trophy of the twenty-first century without Lionel Messi on the team.
It shocked Barcelona and the entire football world when the Argentine legend left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 after spending his entire career there.
The Catalans, who were drowning in debt, went on a summer spending binge that was made possible, among other things, by mortgaging a portion of their future television income.
They added Jules Kounde, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski, who scored against Real Madrid in the Super Cup victory in Saudi Arabia, as well as other players.
The Barcelona team that won Europe in 2009, 2011, and 2015 is gradually dismantling itself, with only a few veterans remaining.
After winning the treble in 2015, Xavi was among the first to leave the club. Since then, he has been striving to rebuild the team, which president Joan Laporta claimed was "nearly dead" when he took over.
The core of Xavi's team is young; Gavi and Pedri are essential to the reorganized midfield, and Kounde and Araujo are in their early 20s.
This season, the 19-year-old Balde has replaced chiefly the seasoned Jordi Alba at left-back, while there is still hope that Ansu Fati will emerge as the team's star.
The 20-year-old attacker is still developing his game and form after suffering significant injuries. On Thursday, he scored a spectacular volley against Real Betis in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal.
