Nico Paz reflects on dream of replacing Messi in Argentina’s World Cup squad
The 21-year-old Como midfielder was barely a toddler when Messi first appeared at a World Cup, and now he's being tapped to fill those boots
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 MartÃnez, 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.
The weight of replacing an irreplaceable player
Paz’s comment about being one year old during the 2006 World Cup captures the absurd longevity of Messi’s career. An entire generation of professional footballers has been born, raised, trained, and capped by their national teams in the time Messi has been representing Argentina on the world stage.
What to watch during the tournament
Scaloni’s selection of Paz in the 26-man squad signals a clear intent. The knee injury recovery timeline will be worth monitoring. Returning to full training in early June is encouraging, but match fitness and training fitness are different animals. Whether Paz gets meaningful minutes in group stage matches could depend on how his body responds to the intensity of tournament football after weeks away from competitive action.