Augusto Martín Batalla Barga (born 30 April 1996) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Rayo Vallecano. He is a former Argentina U20's international.
Club career Batalla is product of the River Plate academy, which he joined as a five-year old. In 2015, River Plate accepted a loan offer from La Liga side Real Madrid for Batalla with the option of a permanent move. However, Batalla turned down the move to Real Madrid for personal reasons.
He made his first-team debut in 2016 and was promoted by manager Marcelo Gallardo as first-choice goalkeeper after Marcelo Barovero left the club. Batalla remained as the club's first choice goalkeeper, initially impressing, winning the 2015–16 Copa Argentina and the 2016 Recopa Sudamericana titles, before losing his place after errors and the signing of German Lux in June 2017.Germán Lux se marcha a River Plate (Germán Lux goes to River Plate); La Voz de Galicia, 26 June 2017 (in Spanish)
After falling further down the pecking order after the signing of Argentina goalkeeper Franco Armani in January 2018. On 5 January 2018, Batalla signed a one-year loan deal with fellow Argentine Primera División side Atlético Tucumán. After impressing and helping the club progress in the Copa Libertadores, On 25 June, Batalla announced on his social media he would be leaving Atlético Tucumán from his loan spell early.
On 3 January 2024, Batalla joined Spanish club Granada in La Liga on loan for the remainder of the season, with the option to make the move permanent. On 23 August, after suffering relegation, he moved to fellow league team Rayo Vallecano also in a temporary deal.
On 20 March 2025, Rayo bought Batalla permanently, with the player agreeing to a contract until 2030. On 7 May 2026, he saved a stoppage-time penalty in the Conference League semi-final second leg against Strasbourg, helping his club secure a place in the final with a 2–0 aggregate victory.
International career Batalla has represented Argentina at various youth levels, including winning South American Under-17 Football Championship in 2013 for the Argentina U17 's where he won the Best goalkeeper of the South American Under-17 Football Championship's and he also won the South American Youth Football Championship for the Argentina U20 in 2015.
Career statistics
+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsRiver Plate2016Argentine Primera División406020201402016–17Argentine Primera División2900060203702017–18Argentine Primera División30———30Total360608040540Atlético Tucumán (loan)2017–18Argentine Primera División 130005010190Tigre (loan)2018–19Argentine Primera División 100———100Unión La Calera (loan)2019Chilean Primera División2205040—310O'Higgins (loan)2020Chilean Primera División330———3302021Chilean Primera División9040——130Total42040——460San Lorenzo (loan)2021Argentine Primera División00———002022Argentine Primera División18010—001902023Argentine Primera División36050100—510Total5406010000700Granada (loan)2023–24La Liga170———170Rayo Vallecano (loan)2024–25La Liga32000——320Rayo Vallecano2025–26La Liga34000140—4802026–27La Liga2000——20Rayo Vallecano total36000140—500Career total2620210400503290
Honours River Plate Recopa Sudamericana: 2016 Copa Argentina: 2015–16
Rayo Vallecano UEFA Conference League runner-up: 2025–26
Argentina U17 South American Under-17 Football Championship: 2013
Argentina U20 South American Youth Football Championship: 2015
Individual Argentine Primera División Team of the Season: 2023
References
External links