Nicolás "Nico" Paz Martínez (born 8 September 2004) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Real Madrid Castilla. Born in Spain, he is a youth international for Argentina.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nicolás Paz Martínez[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 8 September 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain[1] | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Real Madrid B | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011–2014 | CD San Juan | ||
| 2014–2016 | Tenerife | ||
| 2016–2023 | Real Madrid | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022– | Real Madrid B | 49 | (11) |
| 2023– | Real Madrid | 4 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022– | Argentina U20 | 8 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 May 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 28 January 2023 | |||
Club career
Early career
A youth product of CD San Juan and Tenerife, Paz joined the Real Madrid's La Fábrica in 2016.[2]
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 plays for the under-19 side. He is also comfortable operating as a central midfielder or playmaker.[3][4]
He made his debut for the Real Madrid's B-team in a 3–1 win over Andorra in January 2022, coming on as an 82nd-minute substitute for Iván Morante.[3]
2023–24: First-team breakthrough
On 8 November 2023, Paz made his 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.[5][6] On 11 November 2023, Paz made his La Liga debut for Real Madrid in a 5–1 victory over Valencia, coming on as a substitute in the 82nd minute for Dani Carvajal.[7][8] On 29 November, he scored his first-ever goal in the Champions League, securing a 4–2 win against Napoli.[9]
International career
Born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Paz is eligible to represent both Spain and Argentina at international level.[1] He was called up to the senior Argentina national team in March 2022.[3][10]
He also was called up to the Argentina under-20 side for the 2022 Maurice Revello Tournament in France.[11]
Paz was named in Argentina's preliminary 48-man squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.[12]
Personal life
Paz is the son of former Argentine international Pablo Paz, who played at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.[3][13]
Career statistics
- As of match played 25 May 2024[14]
| Club | Season | League | Copa del Rey | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Real Madrid Castilla | 2021–22 | Primera División RFEF | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23 | Primera Federación | 14 | 1 | — | — | 4[a] | 1 | 18 | 2 | |||
| 2023–24 | Primera Federación | 29 | 10 | — | — | — | 29 | 10 | ||||
| Total | 49 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 53 | 12 | ||
| Real Madrid | 2023–24 | La Liga | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[b] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| Career total | 53 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 61 | 13 | ||
Honours
Real Madrid