Nico Paz is Lionel Messi's Argentina heir and he destroyed Manchester United New York Times (Online) Conor O'Neill Earlier this month, Nico Paz scored a goal so thickly layered in symbolism that it almost felt too on the nose. The occasion was Lionel Messi's international farewell game, a 3-0 friendly victory over Benin in which Paz struck Argentina's second. The assist from the 39-year-old Messi to a player 17 years his junior offered a classic passing-of-the-torch image, while the goal itself perfectly captured why Paz was such a fitting recipient. Receiving the ball on the edge of the box, Paz opened up his body and curled the ball into the far corner with his left foot, a goal plucked straight from Messi's back catalogue of aesthetically pleasing finishes. Just two weeks later, Paz showed that flame is set to burn brightly, even as the rain bucketed down in northern Italy. He delivered a masterful performance in Como's 4-1 Champions League demolition of Manchester United, an effervescent display of playmaking brilliance. Like Benin, a porous United side proved accommodating opponents, and Paz kickstarted proceedings with a second-minute strike eerily similar to his goal for Argentina, albeit from slightly closer range. It is quickly becoming a signature finish for the 22-year-old, with the shot map below showing how often he attempted these curling efforts from the left for Como last season. Mimicking the ball-striking of Messi, a player with 936 senior goals to his name, is a canny move, and the parallels between Paz and arguably the sport's greatest footballer do not stop there. Like Messi, Paz is a left-footed playmaker who enjoys drifting out to the right side, as evidenced by his touchmap against United. Those touches, though, are dispersed across the entire pitch, and he shares Messi's tendency to roam, probing for weaknesses in the opposition. Como head coach Cesc Fabregas wisely does not try to stifle this creative instinct by tying Paz to rigid tactical instructions, a freedom Paz credits for his rapid development since moving from Real Madrid in 2024. “From the first day he let me play the way I wanted and gave me a lot of freedom,” he said ahead of Como's Champions League campaign. “He taught me a lot. I think the player I am today is all down to him.” After drifting into these dangerous pockets of space, Paz demands the ball and immediately looks to make something happen, whether through a mazy run, a sharp, incisive pass or a thunderous shot. That proactive style is reflected in The Athletic's playstyle wheel below, which shows Paz ranked in the 88th percentile for dribbles last season among attacking midfielders in Europe's top five leagues. While many aspects of Paz's game are modelled on his idol Messi, there are distinct differences between the two playmakers. The most obvious is physical. Paz is listed at 6ft 1in, his wiry frame a stark contrast to the diminutive eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. That means that although they share the same penchant for take-ons, their dribbling styles naturally differ. Messi's inimitable style is defined by the explosive, rapid changes of direction enabled by his low centre of gravity, while Paz's ball carries are more upright and built around fluid, continuous motion. It is a style closer to Kevin De Bruyne or, as Fabregas has suggested, former Brazil and Milan forward Kaka. United resorted to brute force in their attempts to stop this beautifully balanced dribbler, with Andrey Santos booked for hacking Paz down after he had delicately dinked the ball over the midfielder with a supple outside-of-the-boot touch. Alongside Paz's precocious gifts is an enviable maturity to his game. Fabregas told La Gazzetta dello Sport earlier this year that it “feels like he's been playing for a decade”. That maturity is reflected in the economy of his actions, rarely overplaying despite his dribbling ability and the preternatural vision that helped him record eight Serie A assists last season. His assist for Como's second against United was evidence of this, Paz playing a simple yet perfectly weighted ball for Anastasios Douvikas to fire home. Underpinning his rare talent is a work ethic that manifests in his tireless off-ball pressing, a trait that resulted in his second goal of the night when Paz pinched the ball from Carlos Baleba, drove forward and confidently placed his finish into the bottom corner. That defensive commitment is not just reserved for marquee Champions League nights. As the earlier playstyle wheel shows, Paz ranked in the 99th percentile for front-footed defending last season, underlining his importance to Como's press. Paz is not the next Messi. No player currently operating at the highest level is anywhere near worthy of that label yet. But the fact that he invites such comparisons at his tender age is testament to his brimming potential. An icon has left the Argentina international stage, but the country's steady production line of supremely talented playmakers remains alive and well.