Nico Paz: The likely heir to Messi’s no. 10

Nico Paz is emerging as the favourite to inherit the legendary no. 10 shirt from Lionel Messi. The 22-year-old underlined his credentials as a contender for the 'throne', in Argentina's thrashing of Bolivia – standing out for with a goal and an assist in the first post-World Cup friendly and the first of Messi’s farewell week fixtures.

Nico’s connection to Argentina is in his blood. The son of former player Pablo Paz, who won silver in 1996 and represented Argentina at the 1998 World Cup, he was born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where his father played for six years. At just 12, he stood out in the youth ranks of the Canary Islands side and moved to Real Madrid, a club with which he still has a rather complicated relationship.

At a height of 1.86 metres, Nico Paz is much taller than Argentina’s other legendary no. 10s, but he carries on the tradition of left-footed flair. And don’t be fooled into thinking the expectations are too high for a player who is currently turning out for the small Como 1907, eighth in Serie A this season.

Real Madrid do not want to let him go

While Messi was developed almost entirely at Barcelona, Nico Paz came through at rivals Real Madrid. He arrived at La Fábrica in 2016, progressing through the academy from under-13 level. In 2021 at the age of 17, he began trying to carve out his place, moving between Castilla and the under-19s. In the 2023/24 season, he finally managed to feature for the first team, but opportunities were still limited.

Nico Paz was eventually sold to Como 1907 in Italy, who paid €6 million for 50% of his rights. The deal also included a buy-back option for Real Madrid, who would then have had to pay €9 million for that half if they wanted the player back.

Under Cesc Fàbregas, Paz impressed with six goals and eight assists in 35 matches in the 2024/25 season. The following year, he attracted even more attention with 13 goals and seven assists in 40 matches for the side that upset several Italian giants to finish fourth and secure Champions League qualification.

Real Madrid then increased their interest in the player, and a long-running operation, which began even before the World Cup, ended the way the player wanted.

"After many weeks of thinking, I decided that the best option for my career at this moment is to stay at Como for one more year. The club that gave me the opportunity to grow and become the player I am today," the player wrote on his social media in June this year.

Instead of receiving the €9 million from the sale, Como paid €60 million to own 100% of the player, but with Real Madrid insisting on keeping the Bernabéu doors open for the talented youngster. Real Madrid now holds a priority buy-back option for Nico Paz, which can be triggered in the next European summer transfer window (mid-2027), when the Spanish club will pay €80 million to bring him back, regardless of whether other teams are willing to pay more.

Do Argentinians want a new No. 10?

If it were up to Argentine fans, it would be hard to imagine any player ever wearing the shirt that once belonged to Maradona and Lionel Messi again. The reality is that FIFA does not allow a number to be 'retired', something that is common in American sports. In the organisation’s official tournaments, all numbers from 1 to 23, or 26 as at the last World Cup, must be used.

However, being the first player to wear the No. 10 after the farewell of a legend can be seen as a curse. After Diego Maradona retired, the first successor was Marcelo Gallardo, who wore No. 10 at the 1995 Copa América at just 19 years old but played only two matches in the competition. In the following edition, Gallardo had the no. 9 shirt and was the team’s top scorer with three goals, while no. 10 belonged to goalkeeper Nacho González, selected by 'alphabetical order' in the squad list.

Ariel Ortega then became the new owner of the shirt, wearing it at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. Andrés D’Alessandro followed (at the 2004 Copa América), and Juan Román Riquelme (at the 2006 World Cup and 2007 Copa América), before Lionel Messi immortalised it once again.