Wednesday was the night Nico Paz came of age, ascending to a new level of superstardom as he orchestrated Como’s historic 4–1 Champions League victory over Manchester United.

The 22-year-old Argentina international was awarded UEFA’s Player of the Match award after a game in whch he scored twice and bagged an assist against the three-time European champions.

It was a sit-up-and-take-notice performance from the young playmaker, once of Real Madrid, who has long been talked up as one of European soccer’s best young prospects and a potential lifeline for Argentina in a post-Lionel Messi world. After dismantling United—and possibly costing Michael Carrick his job—the wider soccer world is now aware that the hype is very real.

Speaking to Movistar Plus after the match, Madrid legend and former youth team coach Raúl González described Paz as “possibly the best player I’ve ever coached.”

Can Real Madrid Re-Sign Paz?

Raúl worked with Paz as a teenager at Madrid’s La Fábrica, which he joined as an academy player from Tenerife back in 2016.

The youngster went on to make eight first-team appearances for Los Blancos in the 2023–24 season, scoring his only goal in a Champions League win over Napoli.

That summer Paz made a $6.7 million (€6 million) move to Serie A upstarts Como, where he has gone on to become a leading light—scoring 13 times last season and being named the league’s Best Midfielder 2025–26.

At the start of this summer, there was much speculation that Real Madrid would take advantage of a buyback clause of around €9 million ($10 million) to bring the fast developing attacking midfielder back into the fold at the Bernabéu. However, it was instead announced in June that Paz would be staying put for Como’s first season in the Champions League, with the Italian club and Madrid agreeing a new €60 million ($67 million) deal to retain the player’s rights and extend his stay in Italy to 2028.

The arrangement wipes out Madrid’s old buyout options and sell-on clauses, but gives Los Blancos the option of a new buy-out clause set at €80 million ($90 million), which only they and no other club can trigger. That clause is understood to be active only in the summer of 2027. Essentially, Madrid would only be paying €20 million ($22.5 million) net if they opt to re-sign Paz in a year’s time.

So Madrid can still bring Paz home next summer, but will they? The playmaker operates in a central No. 10 role for Cesc Fàbregas’s Como—a notably similar position to that of bona fide superstar Jude Bellingham. Los Blancos also have Arda Güler, another of Europe’s hottest young players, capable of operating behind the striker. As such, a genuine pathway to game time at Madrid is not immediately clear—though that is not necessarily an impediment to president Florentino Pérez.

‘Historic Night’—Paz Revels in United Win

Speaking after Wednesday’s head-turning victory over United, Paz hailed the night as unforgettable.

“It’s one of the most special nights of my life and career, for me and for the club,” he told TNT Sports. “I’m still young, but I’ll never forget it. It was a historic night because we played against one of the best clubs of all time, and to do this at home is incredible. We’re very happy with our performance.

“We have to enjoy every match like we did today. We have to try to repeat this performance. This is historic, it’s the first time we're in the Champions League and we have to enjoy it.”