Football Espana
·29 January 2023
In partnership with
Yahoo sportsFootball Espana
·29 January 2023
The biggest shock of the South American U20 Championship in Colombia has undoubtedly been the early elimination of Argentina. The junior La Albiceleste side, managed by former Barcelona player Javier Mascherano, lost three of their four games which meant a fourth place finish in their group.
The senior side famously won the World Cup in December, but the young Argentinians has failed to meet their expectations, which has put Mascherano under pressure. Despite their shortcomings, there was one bright spark in the former of Real Madrid wonderkid Nico Paz.
Despite his nation’s failure, Paz had an excellent tournament. As per Marca, the 18-year-old had the highest number of key passes through the group stages. Furthermore, he made the third most dribbles with 17, despite failing to start in one of Argentina’s matches (against Brazil).
The tournament has certainly highlighted Paz’s talents, and the teenager will hope to continue his form when he returns to Real Madrid. Should he do so, his first team chance could come quicker than expected.