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Marcos Rojo
Marcos Rojo 2018.jpg
Personal information
Date of birth (1990-03-20) 20 March 1990 (age 35)
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
Men's football
Representing  Argentina
FIFA World Cup
Runner-up 2014 Brazil
Copa América
Runner-up 2015 Chile
Runner-up 2016 United States
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:41, 6 May 2024 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 9 October 2019

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.

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

Marcos Rojo 6127
Rojo playing for Spartak Moscow in 2011

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

Manchester United v FC Rostov, March 2017 (31)
Rojo (centre) in a Europa League match against FC Rostov in 2017

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

Marcos Rojo (L), Ricardo Quaresma (R) – Portugal vs. Argentina, 9th February 2011
Rojo (left), pictured with Portugal's Ricardo Quaresma, in an international friendly in 2011

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.

Germany and Argentina face off in the final of the World Cup 2014 -2014-07-13 (27)
Rojo dribbling past Germany's Christoph Kramer in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final

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

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
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

Appearances and goals by national team and year
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.
International goals by date, venue, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 25 June 2014 Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre, Brazil  Nigeria 3–2 3–2 2014 FIFA World Cup
2 30 June 2015 Estadio Municipal de Concepción, Concepción, Chile  Paraguay 1–0 6–1 2015 Copa América
3 26 June 2018 Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia  Nigeria 2–1 2–1 2018 FIFA World Cup

Honours and Achievements

Estudiantes

Manchester United

Boca Juniors

  • Primera División: 2022
  • Copa Argentina: 2019–20
  • Copa de la Liga Profesional: 2022
  • Supercopa Argentina: 2022

Argentina National Team

Individual Awards

  • FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2014

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Marcos Rojo para niños

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