# Héctor Villalba

Héctor Daniel "Tito" Villalba (born 26 July 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Primera División team Club Libertad. Born in Argentina, he represents Paraguay internationally.

## Club career

Villalba was born on 26 July 1994 and lived almost to maturity in the Villa 1–11–14. He arrived in San Lorenzo when he was 10, and was chosen after a test in which 500 boys were selected to start a path to professionalism. He confessed to being a fan of San Lorenzo, and went through all the lower levels at the club.
On 18 August 2012, he made his debut in the Primera Division Argentina, against Estudiantes de La Plata, when he entered in the 37th minute of the second half replacing Luis Aguiar, with Ricardo Caruso Lombardi as team manager.
On 22 July 2016, Villaba signed as a young Designated Player with Major League Soccer side Atlanta United. He joined Liga MX side Tijuana on loan on 28 July 2016, but struggled to make many appearances for the club due to injury.
On 31 January 2020, Villaba was transferred to Paraguayan Primera División side Club Libertad for an undisclosed fee.

## International career

Born in Argentina, Héctor is also eligible to represent the Paraguay national team because his father was born there. On 5 September 2018, he made the one-time switch to Paraguay in hopes of making the squad for the 2019 Copa América and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
On 25 September 2018, Villalba was called up to Paraguay along with fellow club teammate Miguel Almirón for a national team camp despite not scheduling any friendlies. He made his competitive debut with Paraguay on 20 November as a substitute in the second half of the friendly match against South Africa.

## Personal life

Villalba can speak Guarani, an indigenous language spoken in Paraguay.
In January 2018, Villalba earned a U.S. green card which qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.

## Career statistics
### Club

    As of match played on 7 October 2023
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | League cup | League cup | Continental | Continental | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| San Lorenzo | 2012–13 | Argentine Primera División | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 2 |
| San Lorenzo | 2013–14 | Argentine Primera División | 34 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 4 |
| San Lorenzo | 2014 | Argentine Primera División | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 4 |
| San Lorenzo | 2015 | Argentine Primera División | 27 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 6 |
| San Lorenzo | 2016 | Argentine Primera División | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 |
| San Lorenzo | Total | Total | 89 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 121 | 16 |
| Tijuana (loan) | 2016–17 | Liga MX | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| Atlanta United | 2017 | Major League Soccer | 34 | 13 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 35 | 13 |
| Atlanta United | 2018 | Major League Soccer | 28 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | 34 | 8 |
| Atlanta United | 2019 | Major League Soccer | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 1 |
| Atlanta United | Total | Total | 82 | 21 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 96 | 22 |
| Libertad | 2020 | Paraguayan Primera División | 20 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 3 |
| Libertad | 2021 | Paraguayan Primera División | 20 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 2 | — | — | 34 | 7 |
| Libertad | 2022 | Paraguayan Primera División | 22 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | 25 | 5 |
| Libertad | 2023 | Paraguayan Primera División | 29 | 13 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | — | — | 39 | 13 |
| Libertad | Total | Total | 91 | 25 | — | — | — | — | 33 | 3 | — | — | 124 | 28 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 263 | 61 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 59 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 344 | 66 |
* ↑ Includes Copa Argentina, Copa MX, and U.S. Open Cup.
* ↑ Includes Torneos de Verano.
* ↑ Includes Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, and CONCACAF Champions League.
* ↑ Includes FIFA Club World Cup, Supercopa Argentina, Recopa Sudamericana, MLS Cup Playoffs, and Trofeo Luigi Berlusconi.

### International

    As of 20 November 2018
Appearances and goals by national team and year :
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Paraguay | 2018 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 1 | 0 |

## Honours

San Lorenzo
* Argentine Primera División: 2013 Inicial
* Copa Libertadores: 2014
* Supercopa Argentina: 2015
Atlanta United
* MLS Cup: 2018
* Eastern Conference (playoffs): 2018
* U.S. Open Cup: 2019
* Campeones Cup: 2019
Libertad
* Paraguayan Primera División: 2021 Apertura, 2022 Apertura, 2023 Apertura, 2023 Clausura
* Copa Paraguay: 2023
* Supercopa Paraguay: 2023
Individual
* MLS Goal of the Year: 2017