| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lucas Hernán Villalba[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1994-08-19)19 August 1994 (age 31) | ||
| 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 | 28 | (2) |
| International career | |||
| 2012 | Argentina U20 | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:20, 23 August 2025 (UTC) | |||
Lucas Hernán Villalba (born 19 August 1994) is an Argentine professionalfootballer who plays as either acentre-back or aleft-back forCampeonato Brasileiro Série A sideCruzeiro.
Villalba started his career withIndependiente, making his debut in the2012–13 Argentine Primera División season againstGodoy Cruz. He then moved toAtlético Tucumán in 2016 on loan and subsequently played 22 times in theArgentine Primera División. On 10 January 2017, Villalba joined fellow Primera División sideHuracán on loan.[3]
In Feb, 2024 he signed a loan withCruzeiro 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.
Lucas Martín Villalba was announced as a player forCruzeiro Esporte Clube in February 2024. The Argentine defender joined the club on loan fromArgentinos 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 alongsideFabrício Bruno for Leonardo Jardim's team, leading Cruzeiro to a commanding lead in theBrasileirão. He scored his first goal for Cruzeiro in a 4-1 rout ofGrêmio atMineirão Stadium on July 13th.[5]
Lucas Villalba was one of the heroes of Cruzeiro's qualification for the quarterfinals of the2025 Copa do Brasil. He scored the first goal of the match againstCRB atRei Pelé Stadium. Following a corner kick fromMatheus Pereira, he headed the ball into the net.[6][7]
Villalba has won caps for Argentina atU20 level.[8]
| 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 | |||
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