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Highly rated Arsenal young goalkeeper Alexei Rojas has been named in Colombia’s squad for the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, which runs from September 27 to October 19, 2025, the club has confirmed.
The 19-year-old will represent Los Cafeteros in Group F, where Colombia face Saudi Arabia, Norway, and Nigeria. Ahead of the tournament, the squad will play warm-up friendlies against Paraguay and Mexico.
Born in Basildon, England, to a Colombian father and Russian mother, Rojas has been part of Arsenal’s academy since joining from Chelsea in 2019. Eligible to represent England, Colombia, and Russia, he committed to Colombia at youth level, making six appearances for their U-20 side.
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His standout display came in a 1-0 win over Brazil during the 2025 South American U-20 Championship, where he kept a clean sheet and earned Man of the Match honors, helping Colombia secure third place and qualification for the World Cup.
Good luck to Alexei Rojas on his call-up to the Colombia squad for the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup 👏 pic.twitter.com/OXPYkBl5fP
— Arsenal Academy (@ArsenalAcademy) September 14, 2025
Rojas signed his first professional contract with Arsenal in July 2024 and has since been regularly involved in first-team training under Mikel Arteta. He was also named on the bench for a Carabao Cup tie against Bolton Wanderers last season.
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Although he has not featured in a competitive youth match for Arsenal in over a year, Rojas has been a consistent presence in training and is currently regarded as the club’s fourth-choice goalkeeper behind David Raya, Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Tommy Setford.
His reputation was cemented with strong performances in the 2022/23 FA Youth Cup, where Arsenal finished runners-up, and in last season’s UEFA Youth League, where he made six starts.
Colombia’s World Cup campaign begins against Saudi Arabia on September 28, before facing Norway on October 1 and Nigeria on October 4. After being an unused substitute at the 2023 edition in Argentina, Rojas is now expected to challenge Luis Marquinez for the starting role as Colombia aim for their first-ever U-20 World Cup title.
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