Ricky Villa

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Villa was born in Roque Pérez, Buenos Aires. In the 1970s he played successively for Quilmes, Atlético de Tucumán and Racing Club. At the 1978 FIFA World Cup, he was a member of the Argentine team that won the tournament and made two appearances as a substitute in the second round. Afterwards, he was snapped up by Tottenham Hotspur's Keith Burkinshaw together with Ossie Ardiles. Arriving to a ticker tape welcome at White Hart Lane, Villa scored against Nottingham Forest on his debut at the City Ground. Villa scored a total of 25 goals in 179 Spurs appearances, including his winning goal against Manchester City in the 1981 FA Cup Final replay – for which he won the Wembley goal of the century award in 2001. He had also opened the scoring in the 8th minute of that final replay. He was withdrawn from the 1982 FA Cup Final Tottenham team, due to the outbreak of the Falklands Conflict. Villa played on in Argentina, Colombia and the United States before ending his career in the lower leagues of Argentine football with Defensa y Justicia. Villa also represented Argentina in the 1991 edition of the World Cup of Masters, scoring in the opening round against England. He dedicated himself to politics during the 1990s, but since July 2005 has been the technical secretary of Talleres de Córdoba. He resides in Villa Carlos Paz with his wife and four children. As of November 2007, it was announced by FIFA that all members of winning World Cup squads prior to 1982 would receive World Cup winners medals and this includes Villa as part of the 1978 World Cup winning squad. On 7 February 2008, Villa along with his compatriot Ossie Ardiles were inducted into the Tottenham Hotspur Hall of Fame.

In Their Own Story

The rain at Wembley turned the pitch into a slick, treacherous canvas for chaos as extra time ticked away. The crowd's roar had settled into a nervous hum until Ricky Villa received the ball near the halfway line. He didn't just run; he glided, a white blur against the grey English sky. A sharp feint left, a deceptive step-over right, and suddenly the QPR defensive wall began to crumble. Three defenders lunged in vain as Villa sliced through the center, his kit stark and brilliant under the floodlights. With a calmness that defied the suffocating pressure of the moment, he unleashed a curling effort that kissed the underside of the crossbar before nestling into the net—silencing the opposition and igniting White Hart Lane in absolute delirium.

Reader's Guide

Villa is an Argentine former midfielder who played for Tottenham Hotspur from 1978. He scored the winning goal in the 1981 FA Cup Final replay against Manchester City, which won the Wembley goal of the century award in 2001. He also opened the scoring in the 8th minute of that replay. He was a member of Argentina's 1978 World Cup-winning squad. He later worked as technical secretary of Talleres de Córdoba.

Did You Know?

• Villa scored on his Tottenham debut against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
• He was withdrawn from the 1982 FA Cup Final due to the Falklands Conflict.
• He won the Wembley goal of the century award in 2001 for his 1981 FA Cup Final replay goal.
• Villa was inducted into the Tottenham Hotspur Hall of Fame in 2008 alongside Ossie Ardiles.