The Hotspot | Alexéi Rojas: ‘I’m passionate about sustainability – I told Arsenal: we need to fix this’

The 21-year-old goalkeeper aims to demonstrate that football must shift away from outdated practices to protect the environment.

“I’m somewhat of an oddball as an individual; I enjoy being distinct in my identity and actions,” says former Arsenal goalkeeper Alexéi Rojas, who balances stopping goals with preserving the planet. “I’d say that was a major reason I was drawn to being a goalkeeper. I appreciate standing out.”

He has many traits that set him apart. By age 15, Rojas was altering perspectives at Arsenal, shifting mindsets at the club’s Hale End training facility, where he would ride his bicycle instead of accepting rides from his parents. Rojas’s concern for the climate crisis was sparked by his mother, who works in the wind energy sector. He frequently visited her workplace to explore renewable energy sources and their possibilities.