Lucas Villalba

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.

Lucas Villalba

Personal information
Full name	Lucas Hernán Villalba[1]
Date of birth	(1994-08-19) 19 August 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth	Florencio Varela, Argentina
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)	35	(0)
2025–	Cruzeiro	25	(2)
International career
2012	Argentina U20
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:20, 7 August 2025 (UTC)

Career

Club

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

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]

After João Marcelo's injury, he took over as a starting center-back alongside Fabrício Bruno for Leonardo Jardim's team, leading Cruzeiro to a commanding lead in the Brasileirão. He scored his first goal for Cruzeiro in a 4-1 rout of Grêmio at Mineirão Stadium on July 13th.^[5]

Lucas Villalba was one of the heroes of Cruzeiro's qualification for the quarterfinals of the 2025 Copa do Brasil. He scored the first goal of the match against CRB at Rei Pelé Stadium. Following a corner kick from Matheus Pereira, he headed the ball into the net.^[6][7]

Argentina national team

Villalba has won caps for Argentina at U20 level.^[8]

Career statistics

Club

As of 10 March 2017.

Club statistics

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

1. Includes the Copa Argentina.
2. Includes the Copa Sudamericana.
3. One appearance in 2017 Copa Sudamericana