Ecuador is ambitious. During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, the experienced Uruguay was surprised by the fiery Ecuadorian (2-1), on behalf of the qualifications for the 2026 World Cup. During this confrontation with a South American scent , it was the team led by Félix Sanchez which got the better of that of Marcelo Bielsa. A nice blow for Ecuador which was able to showcase its young golden generation. Among the nuggets to follow, at the head of the gondola, we find a Blue and another who will be in 2025, respectively Moisés Caicedo and Kendry Páez.
At 16, the latter made his debut for the national team, also equaling Diego Maradona as the youngest player in history to play a World Cup qualifying match. A record equaled for a rising star who should embody the rise of Ecuador on the South American and even world stage. Author of a remarkable performance against Uruguay, Kendry Páez was omnipresent in the game, multiplying combinations with his partners and swaying dribbles. He also took the opportunity to deliver his first caviar, intended for Félix Torres on the hour mark, before leaving to the applause of the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado.
His profile, records galore and an arrival at Chelsea in preparation…
Born on May 4, 2007, Kendry Páez is not an eternal kid with magical feet. The nugget is already very mature for his age and shows a calmness that is almost exasperating for his opponents. Capable of keeping the ball, under pressure, and delaying when the game requires it, the right midfielder has rare qualities. Páez stands out for his ability to make the right choice. With a fine left foot, he often manages to find the right passing angle. The Ecuadorian is one of those twirling wingers, faster without than with the ball. No, the native of Guayaquil is closer to a Hakim Ziyech version of Ajax than a Rodrygo or a Vinicius Jr. If the future resident of Chelsea must obviously progress in all areas of the game, the latter is already ahead of his time. The proof with his first career goal scored in Serie A Primera Etapa on February 25, 2023, against Mushuc Runa SC, at only 15 years old. A record in Ecuador. One more for the genius of the Independiente del Valle, who, like Moisés Caicedo before him, will join the ranks of the Blues in the future.
In fact, never in history has a 15-year-old player cost a club so much (20 million euros). The Londoners, strong in their policy focused on the development of crack players in the long term, unsurprisingly decided to invest in Kendry Páez by reaching an agreement with Independiente. The 8th youngest player in history to play in a Copa Libertadores match will, however, join England in 2025, the time to develop himself at the highest level in Ecuador. Until then, the talented left-hander will have to face the best elements of his country, before arriving at Chelsea where the competition is unprecedented. Let’s hope for Páez that Moisés Caicedo will become who he is supposed to become with the Blues so that the adaptation will be easier. To be continued.
