The young Argentine player scored the game-winning goal for Real Madrid against Napoli. He now has a bright future at the Bernabeu.

It was an odd choice for Real Madrid’s hero against Napoli. With five minutes left, the score was tied at 2-2 between Real Madrid and Italy. You wouldn’t have guessed who would score the winning goal. Nico Paz didn’t look like the game-winning player when Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo, and Federico Valverde were on the field.

But Paz still scored the game-winning goal. He cleverly turned away from a defender and unleashed a 25-yard strike that went into the bottom corner after Alex Meret’s gloves deflected it there.

It didn’t seem to surprise Carlo Ancelotti when he said, “He is a player for the future of Real Madrid.” He has all the skills a Real Madrid player should have.

Still, this player has a lot of ability and a great football background. The fact that Paz’s father played for a top national team and the fact that he went to a Madrid training school means that he will be a star for years to come. Paz has a great chance to play on a team with some of the best players in the world because he is a playmaker and wants to join them. He will be able to grow at his own pace.

But who is Nico Paz, why does Madrid think so highly of him, and is he really the club’s future?

Paz was ahead of the game from the start. His dad, Pablo, was a great football player in his own right. He played center back for 21 years, starting in Argentina, then moving to La Liga, and ending in the Canary Islands. It was with that Argentina team that he played 14 times for them and in the 1998 World Cup.

Nico, then, was seen as talented from the start. Paz was born on the island of Tenerife. Like his father, he used to play center back. But as he got stronger, it was clear that he would be more useful further up the field. It was something Madrid knew when they signed him to La Fabrica in 2016—their top youth center. Paz quickly developed into a good attacker before settling into a place in the middle of the field.

Paz’s rise through the ranks at Madrid has been steady. Because La Fabrica is so good, they gave the player time to improve and find his best spot. In 2021, he trained with Raul’s Castilla team. In January 2022, when he was 17, he made his start for the team, which was Madrid’s U-23s.

Paz scored the first goal for the team less than a week later, less than three minutes into the game against Getafe. After that, he settled down and kept impressing. Ancelotti, who hasn’t used the school much in the past, called the kid up to train with the first team last summer.

A lot of injuries at Madrid have been good for Paz. As Vinicius Jr. was out, Luka Modric was having trouble getting fit, and Brahim Diaz wasn’t quite ready for a full game, the young player had a chance to play for a few minutes.

His first game was in the Champions League against Braga. From there, he worked his way into the team. Finally, Paz has played four times for Madrid’s main team and done well each time.

Recently, Toni Kroos, a player who knows a thing or two about being a good defender, said this about Paz: “This boy should train with us every day because he is very good.”

Even though Paz usually sits on the Madrid bench, his few starts for Castilla have been just as good; he has scored six goals in those 10 games.

The Athletic says that Paz had hoped to get into the Spain team. But because Luis de la Fuente wasn’t interested in the teen, Argentina stepped in. To get ready for the 2022 World Cup, Paz trained with the adult team. He looks like he will be making his debut soon.

Paz is an interesting player because he doesn’t really play one position. Paz has played the role of “playmaker” and has moved from center midfield to box-to-box to No. 10 when required.

Coaches at the academy praised his ability to keep control of the ball in tight areas and his strength to avoid being bumped off the ball. He has a great right foot and is also good in the air. At 6’1″, he can easily beat most center defenders. This player has a lot of different skills, so in a way, he is a current attacking player.