Marcos Rojo facts for kids
![]() Rojo with Argentina at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 20 March 1990 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | La Plata, Argentina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.86 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing position | Defender | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current club | 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 | 62 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
National team‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
2011–2019 | Argentina | 61 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
Marcos 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 local club, Estudiantes de La Plata. There, he won the Copa Libertadores in 2009. He also played in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup Final that same year. In 2010, he helped Estudiantes win the Primera División.
After playing for Spartak Moscow, he joined Sporting CP in 2012. Two years later, he moved to Manchester United for £16 million. With Manchester United, he won four important trophies. These included the FA Cup in 2016 and the FA Community Shield, EFL Cup, and UEFA Europa League in 2017.
In 2020, Rojo returned to Estudiantes on loan. Then, in February 2021, he made a permanent move to Boca Juniors.
Rojo first played for the Argentina national team in 2011. He played 61 games for his country over eight years. He was a key part of the team that 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 Highlights
Starting at Estudiantes
Marcos Rojo grew up in La Plata, Argentina. He joined his local football club, Estudiantes de La Plata, when he was just ten years old.
In 2009, he moved up to the club's main team. He signed his first professional contract. He played for Estudiantes for three years. During this time, he played 43 games and scored three goals.
He played in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup Final against FC Barcelona. Estudiantes lost the game 2–1 in Dubai. While at Estudiantes, Rojo won the Copa Libertadores and an Argentine Primera División title. He often played as a left-back. He scored his first goal against LDU Quito in 2010.
Playing for 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 win against Krasnodar in the Russian Cup.
Time at 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 game for Sporting on August 19, 2012. It was a 0–0 draw against Vitória de Guimarães.
He received his first red card for Sporting in a game against Porto in October 2012. He scored his first goal for Sporting in April 2013 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 a 4–0 win over Académica de Coimbra. Sporting finished as runners-up that season.
Joining Manchester United
On August 19, 2014, Manchester United announced they had signed Marcos Rojo. He signed 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. In November, he dislocated his shoulder during a game.
On February 3, 2015, Rojo scored his first goal for United. It was in a 3–0 win against Cambridge United in the FA Cup.
During the 2015 pre-season tour, Rojo missed joining the team. This was due to passport issues. In the 2016 FA Cup Final, United won 2–1 against Crystal Palace. Rojo was substituted during the game.
On March 4, 2017, Rojo scored his first Premier League goal. This was in a 1–1 draw against Bournemouth. He got a serious knee injury in April during a Europa League game. United went on to win that tournament. He returned to play in November 2017.
In March 2018, Rojo signed a new contract with Manchester United. In January 2020, he went back to his first club, Estudiantes, on loan.
Moving to Boca Juniors
On February 2, 2021, Rojo returned to Argentina. He signed with Boca Juniors. He scored the winning goal for Boca in the 2022 Copa de la Liga Profesional Final.
International Career for Argentina

Rojo first played for the Argentina national team on February 9, 2011. This was in a friendly game against Portugal. 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.

In June 2014, Rojo was chosen for Argentina's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played his first World Cup game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the team's third group match, Rojo scored his first international goal. This was the winning goal in a 3–2 victory against Nigeria. Argentina reached the final but lost to Germany. Rojo was recognized as one of the top players in the tournament.
Rojo was also selected for the 2015 Copa América. In the semi-final, he scored the first goal in a 6–1 win against Paraguay. This sent Argentina to the final. Argentina lost the final to the hosts in a penalty shootout.
A year later, he was in the squad for the Copa América Centenario in the United States. In the final, he was sent off. Argentina again lost to Chile on penalties.
Rojo was part of the Argentina squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. On June 26, he scored the winning goal against Nigeria again. This 2–1 win helped Argentina qualify for the next stage. Argentina lost to France in the next round and were eliminated.
How Marcos Rojo Plays
Marcos Rojo is a versatile defender. He can play as a left-back or as a centre-back. In his early career at Sporting, he was known for his speed in defense. He is also good at heading the ball.
Besides his main positions, Rojo can also play as a winger. When he joined Manchester United, it was thought he could play as a wing-back. This shows he is a flexible player.
Personal Life
Marcos Rojo is married to Eugenia Lusardo. They have three daughters together. He also has several tattoos, including the words "Pride" and "Glory" on his thighs.
Career Statistics
Club
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 | |||
Total | 27 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 6 | 0 | — | 59 | 6 | |||
Career total | 204 | 13 | 21 | 2 | 35 | 3 | 49 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 313 | 19 |
International
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 9 October 2019. Argentina score listed first, score column indicates score after each Rojo goal.
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 25 June 2014 | Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, Brazil | ![]() |
3–2 | 3–2 | 2014 FIFA World Cup |
2 | 30 June 2015 | Estadio Municipal de Concepción, Concepción, Chile | ![]() |
1–0 | 6–1 | 2015 Copa América |
3 | 26 June 2018 | Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia | ![]() |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup |
Honours and Achievements
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
- Supercopa Argentina: 2022
Argentina National Team
- 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