Nicolás Paz: I promise to give absolutely everything of myself to bring this cup back to Argentina

Nicolás Paz, the Argentine forward who made his World Cup debut with the national team, has vowed to give everything he can to bring the trophy back to Argentina. In a heartfelt message posted on social media, Paz expressed his commitment to achieving this goal ahead of the 2030 World Cup. The 21-year-old, born in Spain but recently naturalized as an Argentine citizen, shared his promise alongside his gratitude for the support received during the tournament. Paz’s journey through the World Cup was marked by limited playing time. He appeared in just two group stage matches, against Algeria and Jordan, before being sidelined due to injury concerns. Despite this, he remained optimistic about his future with the national team. His emotional post highlighted his pride in representing Argentina and his determination to contribute to its success. He also extended congratulations to the Spanish team after their victory and emphasized the unity within the squad. During the tournament, Paz experienced high levels of stress, which he humorously acknowledged through a social media post. He shared a screenshot from an app that measured his stress levels, showing a reading of 2.7—classified as "high." With a light-hearted tone, he joked about the situation, adding a playful emoji to his message. This moment reflected both his personal challenges and the intense pressure associated with competing at the highest level. The Argentine coach, Lionel Scaloni, addressed the lack of youth integration in crucial matches. He noted that players such as Paz, Valentín Barco, and Giuliano Simeone were ready for key games but were not selected in the decisive encounters against Cape Verde, Egypt, and Switzerland. Instead, more experienced players like Nicolás González and Gonzalo Montiel were chosen based on how the games unfolded. Scaloni's comments underscored the strategic decisions made during the competition. Before the World Cup, Paz faced uncertainty due to a leg injury sustained during a collision with fellow Argentine player Nicolás Valentini in Serie A. Initially, medical staff believed he would be fit for the tournament, but his recovery did not progress as hoped. Just days before the start of the competition, he was placed under observation. However, after training separately from his teammates, he managed to recover enough to play 58 minutes in the match against Iceland, the last game before the team’s official debut. Meanwhile, Paz’s potential move to Europe became a topic of discussion during the World Cup. According to reports from Marca and La Gazzetta dello Sport, representatives from Como 1907 traveled to Madrid to discuss his future with Real Madrid. These negotiations were part of an agreement that had been in place since the previous week. If Real Madrid did not sign Paz again, the Italian club would receive €10 million. This development highlights the growing interest in the young talent and the ongoing discussions around his professional trajectory.