By Zach Lowy
…Nevertheless, when you’re going by FotMob’s participant scores, there’s just one appropriate reply: Nico Paz (8.09).
Paz sits nicely forward of second-placed Arijanet Murić (7.97) within the league rankings and solely behind Harry Kane (9.07), Luís Diaz (8.28), Michael Olise (8.15), Erling Haaland (8.22), Kylian Mbappé (8.62), and Lamine Yamal (8.42) in Europe’s prime 5 leagues. In simply his second full skilled season, Paz has emerged as an indispensable determine for a Como aspect that’s daring to dream underneath Cesc Fàbregas. And identical to Fàbregas, there’s each motive to consider that Paz can grow to be among the best attacking midfielders of his era and win the most important trophy in sports activities along with his nation.
Born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, Nico is the son of a Spanish mom and an Argentine father – Pablo Paz – who performed for Argentina within the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Initially, he appeared set to comply with in his father’s footsteps by turning into a centre again, solely to depart the Canary Islands in 2016 and be part of Actual Madrid’s academy, the place he advanced right into a centre ahead after which a winger, earlier than ultimately settling into an attacking midfield function. Paz broke into the primary crew in November 2023 and was closely concerned for 2 months earlier than being despatched again to the reserves after varied senior figures returned from harm. While Paz solely managed 128 minutes throughout eight appearances, he however ended the season with three trophies – LaLiga, UEFA Champions League and Supercopa de España – and a maiden senior aim vs. Napoli, earlier than leaving Spain for the primary time in his life and becoming a member of Serie A membership Como on a four-year contract. Como paid €6 million for Paz, however Actual Madrid retained a 50% sell-on clause in addition to three completely different buyback choices in 2025 (€9m), 2026 (€10m), and 2027 (€11m).
It didn’t take lengthy for Paz to regulate to his new environment, breaking into the beginning XI in September 2024 and bagging assists in wins vs. Atalanta and Hellas Verona, earlier than being known as up for Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers, the place, merely 13 minutes after approaching for his senior debut, he assisted Lionel Messi’s aim in a 6-0 thrashing of Bolivia. He’s been known as up for each single worldwide window since then, amassing 5 caps, and he appears to be like set to compete in his first-ever senior event with the Albiceleste in subsequent summer season’s FIFA World Cup.
“Nico Paz is a difference-maker,” said Argentine journalist Julián Giacobbe. “He’s an attacking participant with a brutal technical sensitivity and creation capability, who’s very polished for his age, and who’s already able to being a playmaker like few others on the planet. He’s a inventive attacking playmaker with an excellent duel-winning ratio, who can drop again into midfield and put in a keen effort off the ball. His wonderful ball management and talent with both foot permit him to strike the ball nicely each with photographs and passes. Final season, he was a breakthrough star, however now, many defenders and coaches are conscious of his high quality and are taking a barely extra cautious method to him. Since going to Italy, he’s gone from being a younger reserve with barely any taking part in time to the attacking talisman of an bold mission like Como – he’s matured and developed, and he’s repaying their belief with nice performances and constant progress.”
Of their first top-flight marketing campaign in 21 years, Como completed in tenth place thanks in giant place to Paz’s 6 targets and 9 assists in 35 appearances, sufficient to see him win the Serie A Greatest Younger Participant award and make the Serie A Group of the Season.
Working because the central attacking midfielder in Como’s 4-2-3-1, Paz has thrived at making incisive runs into the field, delivering fast one-twos along with his teammates, and launching counter-attacks with completely timed via balls, in addition to taking intention from distance and getting simply the correct quantity of swerve and top to elude the goalkeeper along with his photographs. At present, Paz leads all Serie A gamers for assists (4), aim contributions (8), and possibilities created (26). Solely Federico Dimarco (11) has created extra large possibilities than Paz (8), while solely Riccardo Orsolini (5) has scored extra targets than him (4). At 21 years of age, he’s emerged because the inventive fulcrum of a Como aspect that’s on observe for European soccer and that at present sits sixth within the desk, forward of the likes of Juventus, Atalanta, and Lazio.
He’s taken his recreation to the subsequent stage since being given the No. 10 shirt, kicking off the 2025/26 Serie A season with a aim and help vs. Lazio earlier than bagging a aim vs. Genoa, two assists at Fiorentina and a aim vs. Cremonese. However his best efficiency got here on Sunday vs. Juventus, the place he used his wand of a left foot to whip in a luxurious cross for Marc-Oliver Kempf to volley residence from shut vary. Como would double their lead within the 79th minute with Paz receiving the ball on the midway line, sauntering ahead and bamboozling Andrea Cambiaso fwith a deft shoulder drop, earlier than bending a rocket into the again of the web. It was a world-class aim that was paying homage to a sure Francesco Totti.
“In the intervening time, there aren’t many Italian abilities…the one one I’m watching, even when he’s not Italian, is Nico Paz,” said Totti in a latest interview. “I like him…he intrigues me a lot. Actual Madrid made the only option; he’ll return to Madrid and grow to be among the best gamers on the planet.”
It appears solely a matter of time earlier than Nico Paz is again on the Santiago Bernabéu, however for now, he’s centered on two issues: serving to Como qualify for Europe for the primary time in 4 a long time, and serving to Argentina grow to be the primary crew in a quarter-century to win back-to-back World Cups.
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
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