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Nico Paz

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Paz and the second or maternal family name is Martínez.
Nico Paz
Paz with Como in 2025
Personal information
Full name Nicolás Paz Martínez[1]
Date of birth (2004-09-08) 8 September 2004 (age 21)[1]
Place of birth Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain[2]
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Como
Number 10
Youth career
2011–2014 CD San Juan
2014–2016 Tenerife
2016–2022 Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022–2024 Real Madrid B 49 (11)
2023–2024 Real Madrid 4 (0)
2024– Como 70 (18)
International career‡
2022 Argentina U20 8 (4)
2024– Argentina 10 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 23:25, 10 May 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 03:31, 17 June 2026 (UTC)

Nicolás Paz Martínez (born 8 September 2004) is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Como. Born in Spain, he plays for the Argentina national team.

Club career

[edit]

La Fábrica

[edit]

A youth product of CD San Juan and Tenerife, Paz joined the Real Madrid's La Fábrica in 2016.[3]

Initially starting his career as a central defender, Paz moved further up the pitch as he developed. After playing as a centre forward, he switched to the wing, where he played for the under-19 side. He is also comfortable operating as a central midfielder or playmaker.[4][5]

Real Madrid

[edit]

Paz made his senior debut for Real Madrid Castilla in a 3–1 win over Andorra in January 2022, coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute for Iván Morante.[4]

On 8 November 2023, Paz made his first-team and Champions League debut for Real Madrid in a group stage match against Braga as a substitute in the 77th minute to replace Federico Valverde at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.[6][7] On 11 November 2023, Paz made his La Liga debut in a 5–1 victory over Valencia, coming on as a substitute in the 82nd minute for Dani Carvajal.[8][9] On 29 November, he scored his first goal in the Champions League, securing a 4–2 win against Napoli.[10]

Como

[edit]

On 25 August 2024, Paz signed for newly promoted Serie A club Como on a four-year deal for a reported €6 million fee.[11][12] The following day, he made his debut for the club, coming on as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against Cagliari.[13] On 19 October, he scored his first goal for Como in a 1–1 draw against Parma.[14]

After registering six goals and nine assists in his debut season in Italy, Paz was named Best Under-23 player at the 2024–25 Serie A Awards.[15] He was also included in the 23-man squad for Serie A Team of the Season.[16]

In August 2025, Sky Sport Italia reported that Como had rejected an offer of €50m for Paz from Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.[17]

Paz was assigned Como's #10 shirt ahead of the 2025–26 season. On 24 August, in the opening match of the Serie A season, Paz provided an assist and scored a goal from a free-kick to give Como a 2–0 win against Lazio.[18] He continued his strong start to the season by scoring in the next two home matches against Genoa[19] and Cremonese respectively,[20] as well as assisting both of the team's goals in a 2–1 win at Fiorentina.[21] This form saw him named Serie A's "Rising Star of the Month" for September 2025.[22] On 19 October, Paz assisted Marc-Oliver Kempf's opening goal and scored his team's second as Como defeated Juventus for the first time since 1952.[23] Como head coach Cesc Fàbregas confirmed that Paz would not be available for the last two matches due to a knock to his knee.[24]

International career

[edit]

Born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Paz was eligible to represent both Spain and Argentina at international level.[2] He was first called up to the senior Argentina national team in March 2022.[4][25]

Paz also was called up to the Argentina under-20 side for the 2022 Maurice Revello Tournament in France.[26] He was later named in Argentina's preliminary 48-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.[27]

On 15 October 2024, Paz made his senior debut for Argentina in a 6–0 win over Bolivia in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match, recording an assist for Lionel Messi.[28] He was selected in Argentina's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

On 27 May 2026, Paz was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. On 17 June, Paz made his World Cup debut against Algeria, coming on as a substitute in the final stages of the game, subbing on Lionel Messi. Argentina went on to win the match.[29]

Style of play

[edit]

Paz has been described as a modern "number 10" and has been praised for his dribbling, playmaking and shooting abilities.[30]

Personal life

[edit]

Paz is the son of former Argentine international Pablo Paz, who played at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.[4][31] His mother is Spanish.[32]

Career statistics

[edit]

Club

[edit]
As of match played 10 May 2026[33]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Real Madrid Castilla 2021–22 Primera División RFEF 6 0 — — — 6 0
2022–23 Primera Federación 14 1 — — 4[b] 1 18 2
2023–24 Primera Federación 29 10 — — — 29 10
Total 49 11 — — 4 1 53 12
Real Madrid 2023–24 La Liga 4 0 1 0 3[c] 1 0 0 8 1
Como 2024–25 Serie A 35 6 — — — 35 6
2025–26 Serie A 35 12 5 1 — — 40 13
Total 70 18 5 1 — — 75 19
Career total 123 29 6 1 3 1 4 1 136 32
  1. ^ Includes Copa del Rey, Coppa Italia
  2. ^ Appearances in Primera Federación play-offs
  3. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International

[edit]
As of match played 16 June 2026[34]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Argentina 2024 1 0
2025 5 0
2026 4 1
Total 10 1
As of match played 27 March 2026
Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Paz goal.[34]
List of international goals scored by Nico Paz
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 27 March 2026 La Bombonera, Buenos Aires, Argentina 7  Mauritania 2–0 2–1 Friendly

Honours

[edit]

Real Madrid

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "FIFA World Cup 2026™ – Squad List: Argentina (ARG)" (PDF). FIFA. 2 June 2026. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  2. ^ a b Nico Paz at WorldFootball.net
  3. ^ "Profile". Real Madrid CF. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d Hall, Andy (7 March 2022). "Who is Nico Paz? From Real Madrid's youth academy to the Argentina senior side". en.as.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  5. ^ Valle, Tomás (7 March 2022). "¿Quién es Nico Paz y cuantos millones cuesta la gran promesa del Real Madrid?" [Who is Nico Paz and how many millions does the great promise of Real Madrid cost?]. elfutbolero.es (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 4 November 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Nico Paz makes his Real Madrid debut". Real Madrid CF. 8 November 2023. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Real Madrid-Braga: UEFA Champions League 2023/24 Group stage". UEFA. 8 November 2023. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Real Madrid vs Valencia CF". La Liga. 11 November 2023. Archived from the original on 19 July 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Real Madrid 5–1 Valencia: Player ratings as Los Blancos run riot". 90min. 11 November 2023. Archived from the original on 12 November 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Nico Paz overwhelmed after scoring first Real Madrid goal in Napoli victory – "This is a dream"". Football España. 29 November 2023. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Como 1907 annuncia l'astro nascente del Real Madrid e nazionale giovanile argentino Nico Paz" (in Italian). Como 1907. 25 August 2024. Archived from the original on 29 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Official Announcement: Nico Paz". Real Madrid CF. 25 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Serie A | Cagliari 1–1 Como: Match Report". Football Italia. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Serie A | Como 1–1 Parma: Paz replies to spectacular Bonny strike". Football Italia. Yahoo Sports. 19 October 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  15. ^ "Real Madrid 'Very Close' to Re-Signing Breakout Star for 2025 Club World Cup". Sports Illustrated. 27 May 2025. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  16. ^ "Serie A Enilive Team of the Season". EA Sports. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  17. ^ "Nico Paz, il Tottenham alza l'offerta a 50 milioni ma il Como dice no: le news di mercato". Sky Sport Italia. 24 August 2025. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  18. ^ Fox Sports, foxsports.com (24 August 2025). "Official | Nico Paz shines as Como beats Lazio 2-0 in Serie A". Fox Sports.
  19. ^ "Golazo de Nico Paz en el empate de Como ante Genoa, por la Serie A". ESPN Deportes (in Spanish). 15 September 2025. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  20. ^ "Il solito Nico Paz non basta al Como. La Cremonese strappa un punto con Baschirotto". Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 27 September 2025. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  21. ^ "Dos asistencias de Nico Paz y una de Matías Soulé para los triunfos de Como y Roma en Italia". La Nación (in Spanish). 21 September 2025. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  22. ^ "Nico Paz "Rising Star Of The Month"". Lega Serie A. 8 October 2025. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  23. ^ "Paz fires high-flying Como to historic win over Juve". France 24. 19 October 2025. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
  24. ^ https://www.beinsports.com/en-au/football/serie-a/articles/fabregas-fears-paz-s-season-is-over-for-como-2026-05-16
  25. ^ Caballero, Jorge (7 March 2022). "¿Quiénes son Nico Paz y Alejandro Garnacho, los talentos españoles que sorprendieron a Scaloni?" [Who are Nico Paz and Alejandro Garnacho, the Spanish talents that surprised Scaloni?]. Marca (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 March 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  26. ^ "Convocados de la Sub 20 para el Torneo Maurice Revello" [Sub 20: all the information on the Maurice Revello Tournament]. afa.com.ar (in Spanish). Argentine Football Association. 20 May 2022. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  27. ^ Hancock, Greg Lea Contributions from Tom; published, Alasdair Mackenzie (2 November 2022). "Argentina World Cup 2022 squad: Lionel Scaloni announces 48-man longlist". fourfourtwo.com. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  28. ^ "Hat-trick hero Messi shines at Monumental as Argentina thrash Bolivia". Buenos Aires Times. 15 October 2024.
  29. ^ "Messi headlines star-studded Argentina squad". 27 May 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  30. ^ "Nico Paz at Como: The Rise of Serie A Young Midfield Maestro - Breaking The Lines". 4 November 2025. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
  31. ^ Sánchez, Borja (7 March 2022). "¿Quiénes son Nico Paz y Alejandro Garnacho, los talentos españoles que sorprendieron a Scaloni?" [Nico Paz, the promise of Real Madrid that falls in love with Scaloni: called up by Argentina at only 17 years old]. elespanol.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  32. ^ "Nico Paz padres, este es el origen del padre, madre y hermanas del futbolista del Real Madrid". December 2023.
  33. ^ Nico Paz at Soccerway
  34. ^ a b "Nico Paz". National Football Teams. Retrieved 27 March 2026.
  35. ^ "Real Madrid crowned champions after Barca's defeat at Girona". BBC Sport. 4 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  36. ^ "El Real Madrid recupera su corona en la Supercopa (4–1)" (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. 14 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  37. ^ "Real Madrid win Champions League: Carvajal and Vinícius Júnior see off Dortmund". UEFA. 1 June 2024. Archived from the original on 1 June 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  38. ^ Young, Peter (23 May 2025). "Official: All 2024-25 Serie A MVP award winners revealed". Football Italia. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  39. ^ "EA Sports FC 25 – Serie A Team of the Season". Serie A. 24 May 2025. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  40. ^ "The Athletic's end-of-season awards, 2024-25: Men's football". The Athletic’s. 28 May 2025.
  41. ^ "Nico Paz "Rising Star of the Month" for August" (Press release). Serie A. 10 September 2025. Retrieved 10 September 2025.
  42. ^ "Nico Paz "Rising Star of the Month" for September" (Press release). Serie A. 8 October 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  43. ^ "The MVPs of the Serie A 2025/2026". Serie A. 22 May 2026. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
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