Francisco José Villalba Rodrigo
Defender · Santos Laguna · №21
Recent matches
| Date | Match | Score |
|---|---|---|
Cruz Azul
Santos Laguna
Liga MX
|
1:0 | |
Santos Laguna
Tigres UANL
Liga MX
|
0:0 | |
Santos Laguna
Guadalajara Chivas
Liga MX
|
0:1 | |
Chicago Fire
Santos Laguna
Leagues Cup
|
3:1 | |
New York City FC
Santos Laguna
Leagues Cup
|
2:0 | |
Club América
Santos Laguna
Liga MX
|
3:0 | |
Santos Laguna
Atlas
Liga MX
|
0:1 | |
Monterrey
Santos Laguna
Liga MX
|
3:2 | |
Pachuca
Santos Laguna
Liga MX
|
4:2 | |
|
Santos Laguna
Club América
Liga MX
|
1:1 |
Season statistics
| Competition | Season | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Liga MX | 2025 | 9 |
| Liga MX | 2026 | 6 |
| Leagues Cup | 2026 | 2 |
About the player
Fran Villalba arrived at Santos Laguna in July 2024, having come through the ranks. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Cabanal", he began at Valencia's academy, Mestalla, before making it into the Valencia first team and then spending a loan year at Numancia.
In 2019 he moved to England, joining Birmingham City, where he stayed for three seasons interspersed with loan spells at Almería and Sporting Gijón. He returned to Sporting on a permanent deal in 2022, adding a further loan at Málaga along the way, before leaving Spanish football altogether for Mexico.
His debut for Santos Laguna came on 13 July 2024. He did not have to wait long to win a trophy with the club: Santos Laguna were crowned Liga MX champions, beating Toluca in the final, giving Villalba a title in his first season in Mexican football.
He represented Spain at various youth levels, from the under-16s up to the under-19s, though a senior international call-up never followed.
Career path
- 2024 — 2027 — now Santos Laguna 71 matches
- 2022 — 2024 Sporting Gijón 77 matches
- 2023 Malaga 35 matches
- 2020 — 2021 Almería 53 matches
- 2020 Birmingham City 17 matches
- 2019 Numancia 40 matches
- 2015 — 2018 Valencia Mestalla 80 matches
- 2016 Valencia CF UEFA U19 7 matches
- 2016 Valencia 4 matches
Career
| Season | Club | Competition | Games | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26/27 | Santos Laguna | Liga MX Apertura | 6 | 0 | 1 | 467 |
| 25/26 | Santos Laguna | Liga MX Clausura | 16 | 2 | 2 | 1 313 |
| 25/26 | Santos Laguna | Liga MX Apertura | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 039 |
| 24/25 | Santos Laguna | Liga MX Clausura | 13 | 0 | 3 | 755 |
| 24/25 | Santos Laguna | Liga MX Apertura | 12 | 1 | 0 | 539 |
| 23/24 | Sporting Gijón | LaLiga2 | 31 | 0 | 5 | 1 364 |
| 23/24 | Sporting Gijón | Promoción de ascenso a LaLiga | 2 | 0 | 0 | 47 |
| 23/24 | Sporting Gijón | Copa del Rey | 2 | 0 | 0 | 176 |
| 22/23 | Malaga | LaLiga2 | 34 | 1 | 2 | 2 298 |
| 22/23 | Malaga | Copa del Rey | 1 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| 21/22 | Sporting Gijón | LaLiga2 | 38 | 4 | 4 | 3 113 |
| 21/22 | Sporting Gijón | Copa del Rey | 4 | 0 | 1 | 311 |
| 2026 | Santos Laguna | Leagues Cup | 3 | 0 | 0 | 206 |
| 2025 | Santos Laguna | Leagues Cup | 2 | 0 | 1 | 112 |
| 2024 | Santos Laguna | Leagues Cup | 3 | 0 | 0 | 72 |
| 20/21 | Almería | LaLiga2 | 30 | 3 | 3 | 1 421 |
| 20/21 | Almería | Copa del Rey | 5 | 0 | 1 | 282 |
| 19/20 | Birmingham City | Championship | 17 | 1 | 0 | 1 219 |
| 19/20 | Almería | LaLiga2 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 1 016 |
| 19/20 | Almería | Promoción de ascenso a LaLiga | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| 18/19 | Numancia | LaLiga2 | 39 | 4 | 7 | 3 314 |
| 18/19 | Numancia | Copa del Rey | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 17/18 | Valencia Mestalla | Segunda División B - Grupo III (-20/21) | 33 | 6 | 3 | 2 312 |
| 16/17 | Valencia Mestalla | Segunda División B - Grupo III (-20/21) | 22 | 2 | 0 | 830 |
| 16/17 | Valencia Mestalla | Promoción de ascenso a LaLiga2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| 16/17 | Valencia Mestalla | Premier League International Cup U21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 45 |
| 15/16 | Valencia Mestalla | Segunda División B - Grupo III (-20/21) | 21 | 0 | 0 | 1 207 |
| 15/16 | Valencia CF UEFA U19 | UEFA Youth League | 7 | 0 | 4 | 546 |
| 15/16 | Valencia | Copa del Rey | 3 | 0 | 0 | 215 |
| 15/16 | Valencia | LaLiga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 14/15 | Valencia Mestalla | Segunda División B - Grupo III (-20/21) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 55 |
| Total | Valencia Mestalla | 80 | 8 | 3 | 4 480 | |
| Total | Sporting Gijón | 77 | 4 | 10 | 5 011 | |
| Total | Santos Laguna | 71 | 4 | 7 | 4 503 | |
| Total | Almería | 53 | 5 | 6 | 2 819 | |
| Total | Numancia | 40 | 4 | 7 | 3 330 | |
| Total | Malaga | 35 | 1 | 2 | 2 326 | |
| Total | Birmingham City | 17 | 1 | 0 | 1 219 | |
| Total | Spain U17 | 16 | 3 | 0 | 799 | |
| Total | Valencia CF UEFA U19 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 546 |
Transfers
Transfers- 24/25 Sporting Gijón Santos Laguna €1.00M
- 22/23 Malaga Sporting Gijón
- 22/23 Sporting Gijón Malaga €150.00K
- 22/23 Birmingham Sporting Gijón €500.00K
- 21/22 Sporting Gijón Birmingham
- 21/22 Birmingham Sporting Gijón
- 20/21 Almería Birmingham
- 20/21 Birmingham Almería
- 19/20 Almería Birmingham
- 19/20 Birmingham Almería €400.00K
- 19/20 Valencia Birmingham
- 18/19 Numancia Valencia
