Introduction
Nicolás "Nico" Paz Martínez (born 8 September 2004) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Primera Federación club Real Madrid Castilla. Born in Spain, he is a youth international for Argentina.
Club career
Real Madrid
Youth career
A youth product of CD San Juan and Tenerife, Paz joined the Real Madrid's La Fábrica in 2016.
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.
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.
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. 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. On 29 November, he scored his first-ever goal in the Champions League, securing a 4–2 win against Napoli.
International career
Born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Paz is eligible to represent both Spain and Argentina at international level. He was called up to the senior Argentina national team in March 2022.
He also was called up to the Argentina under-20 side for the 2022 Maurice Revello Tournament in France.
Paz was named in Argentina's preliminary 48-man squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Personal life
Paz is the son of former Argentine international Pablo Paz, who played at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.
Career statistics
- As of 12 December 2023
| 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 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Primera Federación | 14 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 18 | 2 | |||
| 2023–24 | Primera Federación | 11 | 7 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 11 | 7 | |||
| Total | 31 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 35 | 9 | ||
| Real Madrid | 2023–24 | La Liga | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Career total | 35 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 42 | 10 | ||