Nico Paz Joins Argentina With Capello, Fabregas and Even Messi in His Corner

There's a line from Fabio Capello that sums up exactly where Nico Paz stands right now: "He will become one of the best in the world, but he's not at his best yet." Coming from someone who knows Italian soccer inside out, that's no small statement. And it lands at just the right moment, as the Argentine attacking midfielder begins a new chapter with the national team, one where he no longer needs an introduction.

At 22, Paz is wrapping up a 2025/26 season with 12 goals and seven assists at Como, was named Serie A's best young player, and helped carry his club to a historic fourth place finish that punched their ticket to the Champions League. In his continental debut against Leipzig, he held nothing back: he played all 90 minutes, provided two assists in the 4-1 win, and finished with 95 percent passing accuracy. Capello watched it happen and, even while praising him, asked for more: "You provided two assists, but in my opinion, you can still give a lot more."

The Player Who Grew Up in Italy

There's a clear reason behind all this: continuity. Playing week after week against Serie A defenders has changed the way he thinks about the game. Paz himself explained it in an interview with his club: "It's a huge change. Playing in Real Madrid's youth ranks is a great thing, but stepping into a first division and facing top level players in Serie A is a whole different story." He went from six goals and nine assists in 2024/25 to 12 and seven this season, and that jump is no accident.

That's why he chose to stay at Como for another season, with the blessing of Real Madrid and the Italian club, in what was, as explained at the time, a decision that came from the player himself. After his European debut, he made it clear: "I stayed here to live nights like this one, because it was the right decision to keep growing, and I'm happy I made it."

The Pause That Could Matter for the National Team

What sets him apart most is his ability to read the game before everyone else does. Cesc Fabregas, his coach at Como, put it this way: "He sees soccer seconds before everyone else." Against Leipzig, that translated into concrete numbers: 11.08 kilometers covered and a top speed of 32.43 km/h, on top of being directly involved in three of his team's four goals. When asked about that performance, he didn't let up: "There's always room to improve."

He's already lived through a World Cup with Argentina, coming on against Algeria and starting against Jordan, logging close to an hour of playing time. Before that tournament, he'd been clear about what he wanted: "I'm an ambitious person, I want to achieve big things in soccer. I want to play a World Cup with Argentina." That goal is already checked off; now the challenge is a different one.

It's inevitable that his name comes up in conversations about Messi: he plays as an attacking midfielder, with the same kind of pause, vision and long range finishing. But he set the boundary himself when asked if he could replace him: "It's impossible." And there's something symbolic in the fact that Messi himself was the one who praised him after his debut with the senior team: "He has a ton of quality and understands the game perfectly."

The upcoming international window gives him three chances to keep building his own place in the squad: Argentina faces Bolivia on September 30 in Cordoba, Burkina Faso on October 3, and Benin on October 6 at the Monumental, a match that will also serve as Messi's farewell. Scaloni has already spelled out his approach: "Players will stay or new ones will come in if they perform well for their clubs," adding what he expects from the younger players: "That they can add to our style of play." Paz arrives with a full season behind him and a Champions League campaign just getting started. The rest, as always, gets decided on the field.