Nahuel Molina: The Argentina right-back at the World Cup 2026 Final

When Argentina need width and running power down the right, they turn to Nahuel Molina. The full-back has been Lionel Scaloni’s first-choice on that flank through the side’s golden era — a tireless presence who carried the ball forward as La Albiceleste conquered the world in 2022, including a memorable goal in that fraught quarter-final against the Netherlands.

The modern full-back

Molina is an attacking right-back, most often deployed in a back four where his job is to hold the touchline going forward and tuck in to defend. His calling cards are pace and stamina: he overlaps relentlessly, offering an outlet when Argentina’s forwards drift inside, and covers ground box-to-box without visibly tiring. He made his name at Udinese in Serie A, where his energy earned a move to Atlético Madrid and a role under the demanding Diego Simeone — a school of defending that has sharpened the less glamorous side of his game.

That is the balance to appreciate. Molina is at his best sprinting into space and delivering from the byline, but in Simeone’s system he has learned to defend narrow, track runners and pick his moments to bomb on. His value lies in the overlap, the recovery run and the width he stretches across the pitch.

What to watch in the final

The duel to savour is Molina against Spain’s flying left winger, Nico Williams. Whenever La Roja look to isolate Williams one-on-one, Molina’s positioning and recovery pace will be tested to the limit. Expect a genuine game-within-the-game: if he can pin Williams back by attacking that flank, he blunts one of Spain’s sharpest weapons and frees Argentina to push forward. For Indian fans new to the tactical chess, it is the clearest window into how modern full-backs win finals.