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

Alexéi Rojas, a 21-year-old goalkeeper, discussed his environmental campaigning and how it has intersected with his football career in an interview published in The Guardian’s The Hotspot newsletter on 12 October 2026.

Born in the Essex town of Basildon and educated in England, Rojas has represented Colombia at youth level and spent eight years at Arsenal’s academy before leaving in the summer to join Penafiel in the Portuguese second tier. He was part of Arsenal’s goalkeeper department when the club won the Premier League last season, training daily with David Raya and Kepa Arrizabalaga, and he featured on the senior bench twice under Mikel Arteta — once in the Champions League and once in the Carabao Cup — without making a senior appearance.

Rojas describes himself as distinctive in both personality and purpose, saying: "I’m a bit of an outlier as a person, I like being unique in who I am and what I do," and adding, "I would say that was one of the biggest pulls for me to become a goalkeeper. I like being different." He credits his mother, who works in wind energy, for sparking his interest in renewables after visiting her office to learn more about the sector.

At Arsenal’s Hale End academy Rojas began pushing for practical changes from a young age, choosing to cycle rather than get lifts from his parents and speaking openly about the climate crisis to staff and teammates. He recalled: "I spoke about sustainability in front of everyone [at the academy]," and said staff recognised his commitment when he told them: "We need to fix this."

Rojas outlined specific targets he raised at the training ground, noting the lack of recycling bins, excessive single-use plastic and avoidable energy waste such as lights left on continuously; these concerns prompted teammates to adopt reusable bottles. He also pointed out equipment choices, noting his gloves use recycled materials and that the manufacturer contributes to the removal of plastic from the oceans.

Highlighting the wider footprint of professional football, the interview notes that "at elite level, teams crisscross the globe for matches, while major international tournaments attract fans from all over the world. The carbon impact is rarely considered." Rojas, who has spoken at the London School of Economics and the Net Zero Summit, said: "In our day-to-day, we may not see much of a [climate] impact right now but, as much as people love going to matches, love watching the World Cup, if we don’t protect the longevity of our game, we’re not going to be able to have these moments."

Rojas pointed to recent weather effects he has witnessed both internationally and in the UK, saying he has experienced the rapidly changing climate "around the world and at home" and describing the 2026 summer that left grassroots pitches across the United Kingdom "looking like deserts," with parts of the season delayed because dry, bumpy surfaces were deemed unplayable. He warned: "It’s ultimately going to affect the longevity of the game because elite players start off by playing for local teams in the park and, without suitable conditions, opportunities will be lost."

Alongside advocacy, Rojas has taken part in charitable work, travelling to Kenya for Charity Boots to deliver donated kit and explaining the dual benefits: "You’re solving two problems in one," he said, adding that distributing equipment prevents items going to landfill or being burned while also helping disadvantaged people gain access to sports gear.

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