Marcos Rojo facts for kids
Rojo with Argentina at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Faustino Marcos Alberto Rojo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 20 March 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | La Plata, Argentina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Boca Juniors | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2008 | Estudiantes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | Estudiantes | 43 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Spartak Moscow | 8 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Sporting CP | 49 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2021 | Manchester United | 76 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | → Estudiantes (loan) | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Boca Juniors | 83 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2019 | Argentina | 61 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:41, 6 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 October 2019 |
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Faustino Marcos Alberto Rojo (born March 20, 1990) is an Argentine professional footballer. He plays as a defender for Boca Juniors, where he is the team's captain.
Rojo started his career at his hometown club, Estudiantes. There, he won the Copa Libertadores in 2009. He also played in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup Final that same year. Later, he helped Estudiantes win the Primera División in 2010.
After playing for Spartak Moscow and Sporting CP, he joined Manchester United in 2014. With Manchester United, he won four major trophies. These included the FA Cup in 2016 and the FA Community Shield, EFL Cup, and UEFA Europa League in 2017. In 2021, Rojo moved to Boca Juniors.
Marcos Rojo first played for the Argentina national team in 2011. He played 61 games for his country over eight years. He was a key player when Argentina reached the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final. He also helped Argentina reach the Copa América finals in 2015 and 2016. He played in the 2018 FIFA World Cup as well.
Contents
Club Career
Early Years at Estudiantes
Marcos Rojo grew up in La Plata, Argentina. He joined his local football club, Estudiantes, when he was ten years old.
In 2009, he became part of the club's main team. He signed his first professional contract that year. He played for Estudiantes for three years. During this time, he appeared in 43 matches and scored three goals.
He played in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup Final against Barcelona in Dubai. Estudiantes lost the match 2–1 after extra time. While at Estudiantes, Rojo won the Copa Libertadores and an Argentine Primera División title. He often played as a left-back. He was known for being good at attacking too.
Time in Russia: Spartak Moscow
In December 2010, Rojo signed a five-year contract with Spartak Moscow in Russia. He scored his only goal for Spartak on April 20, 2011. This goal came in a 2–1 loss to Krasnodar in the Russian Cup quarter-finals.
Moving to Portugal: Sporting CP
In July 2012, Rojo moved from Spartak Moscow to Sporting CP in Portugal. He signed a four-year contract. He played his first Primeira Liga game for Sporting on August 19, 2012. He played the whole match, which ended in a 0–0 draw.
Rojo received his first red card for Sporting in a league match against Porto. This happened on October 7, 2012. He scored his first goal for Sporting on April 28, 2013. It was the winning goal against Nacional. In his first season, he mostly played as a centre-back.
In the 2013–14 season, Rojo scored his first goal of the season. This was in Sporting's 4–0 win over Académica de Coimbra. He scored six goals that season. Sporting finished as runners-up in the league.
Playing in England: Manchester United
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On August 19, 2014, Sporting and Manchester United agreed on Rojo's transfer. The next day, United announced they had signed him on a five-year contract. Rojo said it was a "dream" to play for Manchester United.
He made his debut at Old Trafford on September 14. United won 4–0 against Queens Park Rangers. On February 3, 2015, Rojo scored his first goal for United. It was in a 3–0 win over Cambridge United in an FA Cup replay.
In the 2016 FA Cup Final, United won 2–1 against Crystal Palace. Rojo was booked in the first half and was later substituted. On March 4, 2017, Rojo scored his first Premier League goal. It was in a 1–1 home draw against Bournemouth.
He suffered a serious knee injury on April 20, 2017. This happened during a 2–1 win over Anderlecht in the Europa League. Manchester United went on to win that tournament. He returned to play on November 28, 2017.
On March 16, 2018, Rojo signed a new contract with Manchester United. It would keep him at the club until June 2021. On January 30, 2020, Rojo went back to his first club, Estudiantes, on loan. He had played only 13 games for United in the previous two seasons.
Return to Argentina: Boca Juniors
On February 2, 2021, Rojo returned to Argentina permanently. He signed with Boca Juniors. Rojo scored the first goal in the 2022 Copa de la Liga Profesional final. Boca Juniors won that match 3–0 against Tigre on May 11.
On October 12, 2022, he suffered another right-knee ligament injury. This was similar to his injury in 2017. He was out of action for several months. In 2023, he led Boca through the knockout stages of Copa Libertadores. However, he missed the final after being sent off in the semifinals. Boca Juniors lost the final 2–1 to Fluminense.
International Career
Playing for Argentina
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Marcos Rojo first played for the Argentina national team on February 9, 2011. It was a friendly match against Portugal. Argentina won 2–1. Later that year, he was part of Argentina's squad for the 2011 Copa América. He played in the opening match, a 1–1 draw against Bolivia.
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In June 2014, Rojo was chosen for Argentina's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played his first World Cup game in a 2–1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the team's third group match, Rojo scored his first international goal. It was the winning goal in a 3–2 victory against Nigeria. Argentina reached the final but lost to Germany.
Copa América Appearances
Coach Gerardo Martino selected Rojo for the 2015 Copa América. In the quarter-final against Colombia, Rojo missed his shot in the penalty shootout. However, his team still won. On June 30, he scored the first goal in a 6–1 semi-final win over Paraguay. This sent Argentina to the final. He played the entire final match against the hosts, which Argentina lost on penalties.
A year later, Rojo was again in the squad for the Copa América Centenario in the United States. In the final on June 26, he was sent off for a foul. Both teams ended the game with 10 players. Chile won on penalties again.
2018 FIFA World Cup
Jorge Sampaoli named Rojo in the Argentina squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. On June 26, he scored the winning goal against Nigeria again. Argentina won 2–1 and moved to the knockout stage. In the next match against France on June 30, he gave away a penalty. Argentina lost the match 4–3 and was out of the tournament.
Playing Style
Marcos Rojo is known for being a strong defender. He can play as a left-back or a centre-back. When he first played for Sporting, he was more comfortable as a left-back. His speed helps him a lot in defense. He is also good at heading the ball.
Besides his usual positions, Rojo can also play as a winger. When he joined Manchester United, some thought he might play as a wing-back. This position combines defense and attack on the sides of the field.
Personal Life
Marcos Rojo is married to Eugenia Lusardo. They have three daughters together. Rojo has several tattoos, including the words "Pride" and "Glory" on his thighs.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Estudiantes | 2008–09 | Primera División | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | ||
| 2009–10 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0 | |||
| 2010–11 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 21 | 3 | |||
| Total | 43 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 53 | 4 | |||
| Spartak Moscow | 2010 | Russian Premier League | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | ||
| 2011–12 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 8 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 17 | 1 | ||||
| Sporting CP | 2012–13 | Primeira Liga | 24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 33 | 1 | |
| 2013–14 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 28 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 49 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 0 | — | 61 | 6 | |||
| Manchester United | 2014–15 | Premier League | 22 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16 | 16 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | |||
| 2016–17 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 1 | ||
| 2017–18 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 76 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 122 | 2 | ||
| Estudiantes (loan) | 2019–20 | Primera División | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| Boca Juniors | 2020–21 | Primera División | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 21 | 1 | |||
| 2022 | 26 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 44 | 7 | |||
| 2023 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 16 | 1 | |||
| 2024 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 30 | 1 | |||
| 2025 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | |||
| Total | 83 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 17 | 1 | — | 133 | 11 | |||
| Career total | 245 | 15 | 28 | 2 | 35 | 3 | 60 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 372 | 22 | ||
International Appearances
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2011 | 9 | 0 |
| 2012 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 5 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 61 | 3 | |
- As of match played October 9, 2019. Argentina score listed first, score column indicates score after each Rojo goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | June 25, 2014 | Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, Brazil |  Nigeria |
3–2 | 3–2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup |
| 2 | June 30, 2015 | Estadio Municipal de Concepción, Concepción, Chile |  Paraguay |
1–0 | 6–1 | 2015 Copa América |
| 3 | June 26, 2018 | Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia | Nigeria |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup |
Honours and Awards
Club Trophies
Estudiantes
- Primera División: 2010 Apertura
- Copa Libertadores: 2009
Manchester United
- FA Cup: 2015–16
- EFL Cup: 2016–17
- FA Community Shield: 2016
- UEFA Europa League: 2016–17
Boca Juniors
- Primera División: 2022
- Copa Argentina: 2019–20
- Copa de la Liga Profesional: 2022
International Achievements
Argentina
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2014
- Copa América runner-up: 2015, 2016
Individual Awards
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2014
See also
In Spanish: Marcos Rojo para niños
