Nico Paz

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.

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

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.

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.

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. 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. On 29 November, he scored his first goal in the Champions League, securing a 4–2 win against Napoli.

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

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. He was also included in the 23-man squad for Serie A Team of the Season.

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

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. He continued his strong start to the season by scoring in the next two home matches against Genoa and Cremonese respectively, as well as assisting both of the team's goals in a 2–1 win at Fiorentina. This form saw him named Serie A's "Rising Star of the Month" for September 2025. 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.

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

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

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.

Nico Paz is widely recognized as a modern "Number 10" and known for his dribbling, playmaking and shooting abilities.

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

As of match played 10 May 2026

As of match played 31 March 2026

As of match played 27 March 2026 Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Paz goal.

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 2023–24
• Supercopa de España: 2024
• UEFA Champions League: 2023–24

Individual

• Serie A Best Under-23: 2024–25
• Serie A Team of the Season: 2024–25
• The Athletic Serie A Team of the Season: 2024–25
• Serie A Rising Star of the Month: August 2025, September 2025