Julio Villalba

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Julio Villalba

| image = Julio Villalba 2017.jpg

| image_size =150

| caption = Villalba playing for Paraguay U20 during the 2017 South American Youth Football Championship

| fullname = Julio César Villalba Gaona

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1998|9|17}}{{cite web |url=https://www.fifadata.com/document/FU17/2015/pdf/FU17_2015_SquadLists.pdf |title=FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015 – List of Players: Paraguay |work=FIFA |format=PDF |page=20 |date=28 October 2015 |access-date=3 March 2021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103180706/https://www.fifadata.com/document/FU17/2015/pdf/FU17_2015_SquadLists.pdf |archive-date=3 November 2019}}

| birth_place = Ciudad del Este, Paraguay

| height = 1.74 m

| position = Forward

| currentclub = Independiente

| clubnumber = 9

| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2016

| youthclubs1 = Cerro Porteño

| years1 = 2016–2017

| clubs1 = Cerro Porteño

| caps1 = 16

| goals1 = 4

| years2 = 2017–2021

| clubs2 = Borussia Mönchengladbach

| caps2 = 2

| goals2 = 1

| years3 = 2017

| clubs3 = → Cerro Porteño (loan)

| caps3 = 13

| goals3 = 2

| years4 = 2020

| clubs4 = → SCR Altach (loan)

| caps4 = 8

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2021–2022

| clubs5 = Guayaquil City

| caps5 = 24

| goals5 = 1

| years6 = 2022–2023

| clubs6 = Sol de América

| caps6 = 8

| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2023

| clubs7 = Luqueño

| caps7 = 1

| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2024–

| clubs8 = Independiente

| caps8 = 0

| goals8 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2015 | nationalteam1 = Paraguay U17 | nationalcaps1 = 11 | nationalgoals1 = 2

| nationalyears2 = 2016–2018 | nationalteam2 = Paraguay U20 | nationalcaps2 = 4 | nationalgoals2 = 1

| medaltemplates =

| club-update = 26 October 2023

| nationalteam-update =

}}

Julio César Villalba Gaona (born 17 September 1998) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays as a forward for Independiente.

Club career

Villalba signed with Borussia Mönchengladbach in January 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pasionfutbol.com/noticias/Julio-Villalba-el-joven-paraguayo-que-se-va-a-la-Bundesliga-alemana-20160114-0027.html|title=Julio Villalba, el joven paraguayo que se va a la Bundesliga alemana|website=Pasión Fútbol|access-date=5 October 2020|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009054102/https://www.pasionfutbol.com/noticias/Julio-Villalba-el-joven-paraguayo-que-se-va-a-la-Bundesliga-alemana-20160114-0027.html|url-status=dead}}

Upon returning to Paraguay, he featured for Cerro Porteño U20 in the 2016 U-20 Copa Libertadores.{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2016/01/31/south-america/copa-libertadores-u20/club-cerro-porteno-u20/liverpool-fc-u20/2191394/|title=Cerro Porteño U20 vs. Liverpool U20 - 31 January 2016 - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2016/02/03/south-america/copa-libertadores-u20/club-cerro-porteno-u20/bolivar-u20/2191396/|title=Cerro Porteño U20 vs. Bolívar U20 - 3 February 2016 - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2016/02/06/south-america/copa-libertadores-u20/club-cerro-porteno-u20/lanus-u20/2191398/|title=Cerro Porteño U20 vs. Lanús U20 - 6 February 2016 - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}

He made his first-team debuts for Cerro Porteño during 2016 and the club will enjoy little of him before the player departs permanently to the Bundesliga.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hoy.com.py/deportes/villalba-esta-para-arrancar-de-titular|title=HOY / Cerro: Villalba está para arrancar de titular|website=www.hoy.com.py}}

On 8 January 2020, Villalba was sent on loan to SC Rheindorf Altach of the Austrian Bundesliga for the remainder of the season.{{cite web|url=https://www.borussia.de/english/team/news/borussia-news/news-detailansicht.html?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=48963&cHash=ac76f3db38f7c81bf9c9e96d17495d29|title=BORUSSIA LOAN OUT VILLALBA TO SCR ALTACH|date=8 January 2020|accessdate=8 January 2020|archive-date=14 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614104058/https://www.borussia.de/english/team/news/borussia-news/news-detailansicht.html?tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=48963&cHash=ac76f3db38f7c81bf9c9e96d17495d29|url-status=dead}}

International career

Villalba featured in Cerro Porteno's youth academy and Paraguay U17 alongside Sergio Díaz.

Villalba played at the 2015 South American Under-17 Football Championship, making 8 appearances.{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2015/03/04/south-america/sudamericano-u17/paraguay-u17/venezuela-u17/1974450/|title=Paraguay U17 vs. Venezuela U17 - 4 March 2015 - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2015/03/08/south-america/sudamericano-u17/paraguay-u17/brazil-under-17/1974453/|title=Paraguay U17 vs. Brazil U17 - 8 March 2015 - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2015/03/12/south-america/sudamericano-u17/paraguay-u17/peru-under-17/1974457/|title=Paraguay U17 vs. Peru U17 - 12 March 2015 - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2015/03/14/south-america/sudamericano-u17/paraguay-u17/colombia-under-17/1974459/|title=Paraguay U17 vs. Colombia U17 - 14 March 2015 - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2015/03/21/south-america/sudamericano-u17/paraguay-u17/argentina-under-17/2021040/|title=Paraguay U17 vs. Argentina U17 - 21 March 2015 - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2015/03/24/south-america/sudamericano-u17/paraguay-u17/ecuador-u17/2021043/|title=Paraguay U17 vs. Ecuador U17 - 24 March 2015 - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2015/03/27/south-america/sudamericano-u17/paraguay-u17/brazil-under-17/2021046/|title=Paraguay U17 vs. Brazil U17 - 27 March 2015 - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2015/03/30/south-america/sudamericano-u17/paraguay-u17/uruguay-under-17/2021049/|title=Paraguay U17 vs. Uruguay U17 - 30 March 2015 - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}

He then featured at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup making three appearances and scoring two goals against Syria U17[https://web.archive.org/web/20160421162809/http://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/matches/round=271783/match=300298375/report.html FIFA.com] and France U17.[https://web.archive.org/web/20151025163848/http://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/matches/round=271783/match=300298377/report.html FIFA.com]{{Cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2015/10/25/world/u17-world-cup/paraguay-u17/new-zealand-under-17/2037241/|title=Paraguay U17 vs. New Zealand U17 - 25 October 2015 - Soccerway|website=int.soccerway.com}}