Como sensation Nico Paz having Lionel Messi effect in Serie A, claims Cesc Fabregas

Paz, who started out in the academy system at Real Madrid, has quickly earned a reputation as one of the most destructive creative talents in the Italian top-flight. As a result, he is attracting plenty of attention.

Much of that is positive, with senior international recognition coming his way ahead of the 2026 World Cup, but new challenges are being presented. Paz is having to find ways of influencing games when being denied time and space.

Messi has been able to achieve that over the course of his remarkable career, with records tumbling around the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, and Fabregas is pleased to see a player at his disposal being treated in a similar manner.

Ex-Arsenal, Chelsea and Barca star Fabregas, who is now in charge of Como, has told reporters of Paz: “If you ask me, when every team played against Barcelona, surely they didn’t want Messi to touch the ball. He would score three goals per game.

“I don’t know. This is a positive thing for Nico. I mean, this will happen more. I said it at the beginning of the season, I told him too. This tells me now that they look at you differently. They want to compete against you in a different way.”

Paz, who is just 21 years of age, starred for Como across their debut Serie A campaign last season. He has a further two goals to his name this term and is - fitness permitting - expected to line up alongside Messi when Argentina defend their global title in the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.