There’s a particular kind of generational vertigo that hits when an athlete born in 2004 talks about replacing the greatest player of all time. Nico Paz is living it. The 21-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder has been named to Lionel Scaloni’s 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and he’s processing the magnitude of that selection with the kind of wide-eyed honesty that makes you root for him.
Paz says he feels honored to potentially come on as a substitute for Lionel Messi, noting that he was only one year old during the 2006 World Cup, the tournament where Messi first announced himself on the global stage.
From Real Madrid academy to Argentina’s World Cup roster
Born on September 8, 2004, as Nicolás Paz Martínez, he developed through Real Madrid’s famed La Fábrica youth academy. In 2024, he transferred to Como in Serie A for €6 million.
Paz earned a senior international debut with Argentina and assisted Messi himself during a World Cup qualifying match in 2025. His road to the 2026 tournament wasn’t entirely smooth. Paz sustained a knee injury in May 2026, but he recovered and returned to training with the Argentina squad in early June, putting himself back in contention just as the tournament hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico was approaching.
