Nahuel Molina
An attacking full-back whose marauding runs and pinpoint delivery from the right flank became a signature of Argentina's World Cup-winning campaign.
Born 1998 (age 28)·Argentine footballer·Birthday: April 6·Generation Z
Biography
Nahuel Molina redefined the potential of the right-back position for a generation, transforming it from a defensive post into a launchpad for attacks. His education at Boca Juniors and subsequent success in Italy with Udinese honed a player with the engine of a winger and the delivery of a playmaker. Under the guidance of Diego Simeone at Atlético Madrid, Molina's game absorbed a necessary defensive discipline without sacrificing its offensive verve. His crowning moment came on the world's biggest stage in Qatar, where his perfectly timed run and finish against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals was a microcosm of his value: a defender who decides games. He represents the modern archetype of the complete full-back.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Nahuel was born in 1998, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Nahuel Was Born
The biggest hits of 1998
#1 Movie
Saving Private Ryan
Best Picture
Shakespeare in Love
#1 TV Show
Seinfeld
Nahuel's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1998Born
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2003Started school
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2011Became a teenager
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2014Could drive
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2016Could vote
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2019Turned 21
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 28 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Scored a crucial goal in the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against the Netherlands, helping Argentina advance to the semi-finals.
- Won the 2022 FIFA World Cup as a starting right-back for the Argentina national team.
- Earned a transfer to La Liga giants Atlético Madrid after impressive performances in Serie A with Udinese.
Did You Know?
He scored on his debut for the Argentina national team in a 2022 World Cup qualifier against Uruguay.
Molina began his professional career at famed Argentine club Boca Juniors.
His goal against the Netherlands in the 2022 World Cup was his first ever for the national team.
“My job is to defend first, but I always have the attack in my mind.”
