NICO PAZ has admitted he was “too ashamed” to speak to Lionel Messi when he trained with him.
The midfielder made his Argentina debut in October in a 2026 World Cup qualifier.
Paz, 20, made an assist for Messi during the 6-0 victory and was hailed by the former Barcelona star afterwards.
Messi claimed that the Como star can “continue to grow” and that he “understands the game perfectly”.
He added: “I hope he continues like this.
“He played, he enjoyed it and I think he’ll feel comfortable in this team because he likes having the ball.”
Paz had revealed that he first met Messi when he was 17 years old.
The midfielder trained with the Argentine national team when he was in the youth side.
He admitted that he was “too ashamed” to try and speak to Messi and got “nervous” when seeing him.
He told DAZN: “I had met him once before, when I was 17 years old, with the U20s, in a training session with the senior national team.
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“This was the second time I saw him, but the first time I was in the locker room with him.
“I didn’t talk to him, I was too ashamed.
“I get nervous when I see him.”
Since then, Paz has become one of the most promising midfielders in Europe.
After progressing through the youth academy at Real Madrid, he made the bold decision to leave in August.
He joined Serie A newcomers Como for £5m and has become a key player for manager Cesc Fabregas.
This season, he has made 15 appearances in Serie A, scoring two goals and assisting three more.
