Nahuel Molina Lucero was born on 6 April 1998 in Embalse, Córdoba, Argentina. He came through Boca Juniors' youth system after Boca absorbed his Barcelona-affiliated local academy in 2012, and made his senior Boca debut in February 2016. Loan spells at Defensa y Justicia (2018) and Rosario Central (2019) preceded a 2020 move to Italian side Udinese. Atlético Madrid signed him on a five-year contract in July 2022 for around €20 million plus performance incentives, where he wears the number 16 shirt.
Molina has been Atlético's first-choice right-back across most of his tenure and played in the squads that have featured in Champions League knockout football season after season. He has logged around 180 appearances and 9 goals across all competitions for the club through 2025–26 — a strong attacking output for a defender.
His Argentina career has been transformative. Since debuting in June 2021 he has earned more than 50 senior caps. He started for Argentina at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, scored the opening goal in the quarter-final against the Netherlands at Lusail Stadium, and lifted the trophy. He has since added the 2021 and 2024 Copa Américas and the 2022 Finalissima.
A 1.75 m right-footed full-back, Molina combines pace, overlapping runs, and crossing technique with the kind of stamina that has made him valuable to both Atlético and Argentina, even as defensive consistency remains the long-term coaching point in his game.