Nico Paz
Footballer (born 2004)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
|
Paz with Argentina in 2026 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nicolás Paz Martínez[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 8 September 2004[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 | 11 | (1) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:31, 8 July 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 04:23, 28 June 2026 (UTC) | |||
Club career
La Fábrica
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
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
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
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
Personal life
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
Club
- As of match played 10 May 2026[33]
| 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 | ||
- Includes Copa del Rey, Coppa Italia
- Appearances in Primera Federación play-offs
- Appearances in UEFA Champions League
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2024 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2026 | 5 | 1 | |
| Total | 11 | 1 | |
- As of match played 27 March 2026[34]
- Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Paz goal.
| 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
Real Madrid
Individual
- Serie A Rising Star(Best Under-23): 2024-2025
- Serie A Best Under-23: 2024–25[38]
- Serie A Team of the Season: 2024–25[39]
- The Athletic Serie A Team of the Season: 2024–25[40]
- Serie A Rising Star of the Month: August 2025,[41] September 2025[42]
- Serie A Best Midfielder: 2025–26[43]