Facundo Medina: Who is Bayer Leverkusen’s new Argentinian sentry?
After impressing at the FIFA World Cup 2026 with his assured defensive performances for finalists Argentina, Facundo Medina has joined Bayer Leverkusen ahead of the 2026/27 campaign. Here’s all you need to know about the versatile defender, who hails from the same city as Diego Maradona…
Stats correct as of 11 August 2026
Facundo Medina
Age: 27 (born 28 May 1999)
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Position: Centre-back/Left-back
Country: Argentina (14 caps)
Key stats
Medina’s footballing journey began comparatively late, with the young defender joining River Plate’s academy at the age of 12 in his native Argentina. After rising through the youth ranks but finding first-team opportunities limited, he joined fellow Primera División outfit Talleres in January 2018.
There, he made 37 appearances in all competitions before Europe came calling in July 2020 in the form of Ligue 1 side Lens. Medina announced his arrival at the French outfit in some style, netting a stunning overhead kick in just his third appearance in a 3-2 victory away to Lorient.
Just a few months later, the defender was handed his first senior international cap under coach Lionel Scaloni in a FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifying victory over Bolivia in October 2020.
After a five-year stint in Lens, Medina traded the north of France for the south, joining Marseille ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. He made 26 appearances in all competitions en route to a fifth-placed Ligue 1 finish, while his performances also earned him a spot in Argentina’s 26-man squad for the World Cup 2026 where Medina earned five caps – including a 50-minute cameo in the final – as Scaloni’s men finished runners-up.
Plays a bit like: Piero Hincapié
Despite being three years the Ecuadorian’s senior, the similarities between both defenders are uncanny. Both are 6’0" tall, left-sided defenders who are comfortable being deployed at either centre-back or left-back. Both are strong in aerial and ground duels, adept in playing out from defence, and even capable of contributing the occasional goal.
Incidentally, Hincapié and Medina also both used breakout seasons at Talleres as a stepping stone to Europe and now share another common club in Leverkusen.
Did you know?
Medina grew up in the city of Villa Fiorito in the southern part of the Greater Buenos Aires urban conurbation, just like Argentine football icon Maradona. The ‘child from Fiorito’ – as he is known – used to work as a ‘Cartonero’, collecting recyclable materials to help support his family financially prior to joining River Plater’s academy.
The 27-year-old opened up about his struggles in early life, revealing in an interview with ESPN: “I had other jobs. You had to survive in the neighborhood. I had to take a cart and work, just like everyone else. I went collecting cardboard with my uncles and the whole family. It was family work from Monday to Friday. We had food, but you had to work hard for it.”
What they’re saying
“Facundo can switch seamlessly between a back four and a back three. He has the intelligence and the energy to adapt, whether he’s defending wide or centrally.” – Franck Haise, former Lens head coach
"He’s a player who excels in one-on-one situations: assertive and aggressive. Facundo’s qualities add an important element to our squad’s profile. We’re delighted to have him in our ranks.” – Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes
