Official Statement

Flamengo clarifies that it did not initiate any proceedings regarding the registration of player Marcos Rojo by Club Estudiantes de La Plata for CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores 2026.

On October 9, Estudiantes requested that CONMEBOL include the player in its squad list for the semifinal as a replacement for an injured player. The registration period ("transfer window") in Argentina had closed on September 2, and the player had appeared in official matches for Racing until September 27.

CONMEBOL, the competition organizer, which has always ensured strict compliance with its regulations and the integrity of its tournaments, analyzed the request and consulted FIFA. FIFA clarified that its rules on registration periods are mandatory and apply to domestic transfers as well, and do not permit exceptions beyond those specified in its regulations. Based on this, CONMEBOL rejected the substitution on October 14 and maintained its refusal on October 15—that is, before the second leg of the semifinal. These rules are mandatory for all associations and are known and accepted by all clubs upon enrollment in the tournament. Flamengo was not part of any of these procedures.

Dissatisfied, Estudiantes appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and named Flamengo, its semifinal opponent, as a party to the proceedings. On October 16, Flamengo was thus brought into the case. On October 21, CAS provisionally authorized the player's participation, but denied Estudiantes' request to waive the sporting and disciplinary consequences that might arise from the final decision. The risks of this decision rested with the Argentine club and the player.

Called upon to join proceedings it did not initiate, Flamengo acted solely to preserve its rights. Before the semifinal match, it informed CAS, in a statement also communicated to Estudiantes, that should the player be fielded, it would lodge the formal protest provided for in the regulations. The Argentine club therefore took the field aware of this consequence, in addition to the warning already issued by CAS itself. After the match, Flamengo filed its protest within the deadline, in accordance with Article 24.1.b of CONMEBOL's Disciplinary Code, and requested that the case be decided before the competition final.

Therefore: (i) before the second leg of the semifinal, CONMEBOL, after consulting FIFA, twice denied Estudiantes' request to register the player; (ii) it was Estudiantes who appealed to CAS to secure the player's release, naming Flamengo as a party to the proceedings; and (iii) before the match, CAS denied Estudiantes the sought-after assurance that fielding the player would not incur sporting and disciplinary consequences.

This is not about seeking a result off the pitch. It is about ensuring that the rules of an international competition apply equally to all clubs, from all countries.

Flamengo reiterates its profound respect for CAS and CONMEBOL, institutions whose work is essential to the integrity, legal certainty, and balance of international football, as well as for Estudiantes, a club of recognized tradition. Confident in CONMEBOL's responsible and rigorous handling of the proceedings, Flamengo will await the final decision with composure and will respect it with the institutional regard that has always guided its conduct and which it expects from all participants.

Flamengo

Rio de Janeiro, October 24, 2026.