Lucas Villalba
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lucas Hernán Villalba[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 19 August 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Florencio Varela, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back, left-back[2] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Cruzeiro | ||
| Number | 25 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009–2012 | Independiente | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2019 | Independiente | 44 | (0) |
| 2016 | → Atlético Tucumán (loan) | 22 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | → Huracán (loan) | 29 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | → Aldosivi (loan) | 23 | (1) |
| 2019–2021 | Aldosivi | 31 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | Argentinos Juniors | 108 | (4) |
| 2024 | → Cruzeiro (loan) | 24 | (1) |
| 2025– | Cruzeiro | 0 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2012 | Argentina U20 | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:41, 15 February 2024 (UTC) | |||
Lucas Hernán Villalba (born 19 August 1994) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as either a centre-back or a left-back for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A side Cruzeiro.
Career
[edit]Club
[edit]Villalba started his career with Independiente, making his debut in the 2012–13 Argentine Primera División season against Godoy Cruz. He then moved to Atlético Tucumán in 2016 on loan and subsequently played 22 times in the Argentine Primera División. On 10 January 2017, Villalba joined fellow Primera División side Huracán on loan.[3]
In Feb, 2024 he signed a loan with Cruzeiro Esporte Clube. After playing 35 matches for the Brazilian side in 2024, Cruzeiro announced on 3 January 2025 that the team signed Villalba permanently, offering a two-year contract.
Cruzeiro
[edit]Lucas Martín Villalba was announced as a player for Cruzeiro Esporte Clube in February 2024. The Argentine defender joined the club on loan from Argentinos Juniors, with a contract until the end of the 2024 season and a purchase option included at the end of the loan.
His signing addressed a squad need for a left-footed defender capable of playing both as a centre-back and as a left-back. Villalba made his debut and accumulated appearances under manager Nicolás Larcamón and, subsequently, continued to be utilized by manager Fernando Seabra.
As of May 2024, Villalba has participated in matches for the Campeonato Mineiro, Copa do Brasil, Campeonato Brasileiro, and Copa Sudamericana, playing predominantly as a centre-back and, occasionally, as a left-back.
Lucas Martín Villalba gained more prominence following the arrival of head coach Leonardo Jardim, improving the performance metrics for his position.[4]
International
[edit]Villalba has won caps for Argentina at U20 level.[5]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]- As of 10 March 2017.
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | League Cup | Continental[b] | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Independiente | 2012–13 | Primera División | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2013–14 | Primera B Nacional | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |||
| 2014 | Primera División | 15 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | |||
| 2015 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 44 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 0 | |||
| Atlético Tucumán (loan) | 2016 | Primera División | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |||
| Total | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |||
| Huracán (loan) | 2016–17 | Primera División | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Career total | 66 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 72 | 0 | |||
- ^ Includes the Copa Argentina.
- ^ Includes the Copa Sudamericana.
- ^ One appearance in 2017 Copa Sudamericana
References
[edit]- ^ "Player profile".
- ^ Lucas Villalba at WorldFootball.net
- ^ "Lucas Villalba, primer refuerzo de Huracán". TyC Sports. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
- ^ "Jardim destaca evolução defensiva do Cruzeiro e cita Villalba: 'É outro jogador' - Central da Toca". www.centraldatoca.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). 5 May 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "Paliza al Sub 20: Alemania goleó a la Argentina". Toda Pasión. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  | This biographical article related to association football in Argentina, about a defender born in the 1990s, is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- 1994 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Buenos Aires
- Argentine men's footballers
- Argentina men's youth international footballers
- Argentine Primera División players
- Primera Nacional players
- Club Atlético Independiente footballers
- Atlético Tucumán footballers
- Club Atlético Huracán footballers
- Club Atlético Aldosivi footballers
- Argentinos Juniors footballers
- Cruzeiro Esporte Clube players
- Men's association football defenders
- Argentine expatriate men's footballers
- Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Brazil
- Expatriate men's footballers in Brazil
- 21st-century Argentine sportsmen
- Argentine football defender, 1990s birth stubs