Nico Paz Career Story: Argentina's Next Star Born in Real Madrid Academy
Real Madrid have a buy-back clause for Nico Paz, but the Argentine chose another year at Como. His statement, his growth on Lake Como, and what comes next.
Real Madrid's buy-back plan, why Nico Paz chose to stay at Como...
Lionel Messi has bid a final farewell to the fans, leaving Argentina with the task of deciding who will inherit the iconic No.10 shirt a role history shows is far from easy.
On one occasion, even a goalkeeper opted to wear the famous number. Now, however, super-talent Nico Paz appears to be staking a strong claim for the jersey with his displays for Italian side Como.
You may have noticed it yourself. Manchester United travelled to the small Italian town for a Champions League tie and were hammered. The Red Devils managed a late consolation to make it 4-1, but the gulf was obvious not only in how impressively Italian football's surprise package were playing, but in the sheer potential of Argentine midfielder Nico Paz. Deployed on the right side of midfield, he ran the game and bagged a brace.
And it was no one-off. Paz has taken clear strides over the past few seasons, which is why Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has kept calling him up. The youngster has rewarded that trust, with five goals in 17 caps even if he managed just 71 minutes at the World Cup.
In La Albiceleste's most recent outing, he was on target again. That goal came with a special backstory: he was the last Argentine player to be assisted by Lionel Messi. Just how symbolic that moment against Benin proves to be remains to be seen.
Nico Paz vs Benin 🪄 https://t.co/zfyCXqdbD6
— am (@rembel_6) October 7, 2026
The Messi era is over, and whether Argentina likes it or not, a new No.10 must be found. It is, to be clear, a thankless task. Footballing geniuses like Mario Kempes, Diego Maradona and Messi have left their successors with an enormous challenge after hugely successful spells, each crowned with a World Cup title.
If Argentina's fans had it their way, they would want to see the sacred No.10 shirt made famous by Maradona and Messi worn again one day. In the NHL or NBA, the jersey would have long been retired and hung from the rafters. The reality, though, is that FIFA does not allow numbers to be retired, with all numbers from 1 to 26 required to be used at official tournaments, as was the case at the last World Cup.
¿Kempes, Maradona o Messi? 🇦🇷 ¿Quién es el mejor jugador de la historia de Argentina? Tres leyendas 3 generaciones y una camiseta que representa a todo un paÃs. 🇦🇷⚽ Kempes Maradona Messi dejaron una huella imborrable en la historia del fútbol argentino. ¿Con quién te quedas tú? https://t.co/EV0UaFSK3L
— 🔱 CHAMPIONS RM🔱 (@ChampionsRM16) September 1, 2026
The goalkeeper who wore No.10
Even Marcelo Gallardo, one of the first to inherit the No.10 shirt from Maradona, spoke of a curse. He wore it at the 1995 Copa America at just 19, but managed only two appearances and missed a penalty.
“Diego called me straight after the match to encourage me. He told me to keep my head held high because he had great faith in me. He had absolutely no reason to do it, but he did. I will always be immensely grateful to him for that gesture,” Gallardo recalled. At the next tournament, however, he switched to No.9 and finished as the team's top scorer.
🇦🇷 A goalkeeper wearing number 10?! OTD 1997: Ecuador 0-0 Argentina Argentina designated squad numbers alphabetically for the 1997 Copa América and goalkeeper Nacho González got Diego Maradona's #10 shirt! https://t.co/FWyxYLIhIG
— 📚 Tears at La Bombonera/Dame Bola (@BomboneraTears) June 11, 2026
Argentina even handed the No.10 shirt to goalkeeper Nacho Gonzalez. At the time, the national team assigned numbers alphabetically meaning Ubaldo Fillol wore No.7 in goal while midfielder Ardiles played outfield in the No.1 shirt.
Other players to don the No.10 included Ariel Ortega, who wore it at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. He was followed by Andres D'Alessandro at the 2004 Copa America and Juan Roman Riquelme at the 2006 World Cup and 2007 Copa America, before the shirt rightfully returned to Messi.
Not Your Typical Argentine No.10
Looking at Nico Paz, you would hardly say he is the next Maradona or Messi. While he is left-footed like them, his build is completely different he stands 23 centimetres taller than one of those superstars and 18 centimetres taller than the other.
His playing style is different as well, even if he also operates on the right side and covers much of the same area as Messi.
Paz arguably makes the game harder for himself. He very often receives the ball with his back to goal and has to beat a defender right at the start of the attack.
Messi and Maradona generally started their moves already facing goal. Even so, Paz remains relatively productive.
He has the full trust of coach Cesc Fabregas and, in his debut Serie A season with Como, registered six goals and eight assists in 35 appearances. The following year he made an even bigger impact, with 13 goals and seven assists in 40 matches.
The Serie A newcomers upset some of Italy's biggest clubs, thanks in large part to him, and clinched Champions League qualification not long after winning promotion to the top flight. The thrashing of Manchester United mentioned above is further proof that Paz's ambitions run even higher.
Football Runs in the Family
Paz has football in his genes. His father is former Argentina international Pablo Paz, who represented Argentina at the 1998 World Cup. Nico was born in Tenerife, Spain, where his father spent six years as a player before later moving into youth coaching.
He stood out so much in the academy of the Canary Islands club that he moved to Real Madrid's youth setup, with whom he still has a somewhat complicated relationship.
In the 2023/24 season he finally made his debut for Real Madrid's first team, but further opportunities were limited and he was sold to Como. His career flourished on the shores of the famous lake, and another announcement soon followed.
“After many weeks of thought, I have come to the conclusion that, at this moment, staying at Como for another year is the best thing for my career. It is a club that gave me the opportunity to grow and become the player I am today,” the footballer wrote on social media this June.
It came as a response to Real Madrid's interest in bringing him back. The Spanish club still holds a preferential buy-back option on the player.
Who knows whether Argentina will one day be powered by a player from Los Blancos? Historically, the preference has been for those who came through fierce rivals Barcelona.
And there may be one more message to take from it all. One of the latest photos to go viral on social media shows that Nico Paz has Messi's full trust it features a young Ciro Messi posing in a Como shirt.
The magic goal of Nico Paz 💫🇦🇷 https://t.co/fKXlbEGFB7
— Como1907 (@Como_1907) October 23, 2026
“It is an honour for us that the greatest player in football history knows our shirt. We must be doing something right. Seeing Messi's son in our shirt is a joy and an honour,” Paz said.
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