At the 1978 FIFA World Cup, he was a member of the Argentinian team that won the tournament and made two appearances as a substitute in the second round.

Arriving to a ticker tape welcome at White Hart Lane, Villa scored against Nottingham Forest on his debut at the City Ground.

Villa played on in Argentina, Colombia and the United States before ending his career in the lower leagues of Argentine football with Defensa y Justicia.

Villa also represented Argentina in the 1991 edition of the World Cup of Masters, scoring in the opening round against England.

On 7 February 2008, Villa along with his compatriot Ossie Ardiles were inducted into the Tottenham Hotspur Hall of Fame.