There’s a lot of hype surrounding the newest RC Strasbourg Alsace recruit, hailed as the next great South American superstar.
On Thursday, the club from Alsace officially signed Kendry Paéz (18) on loan from Chelsea for the entire 2025-26 Ligue 1 campaign.
The international from Ecuador, who was named the most outstanding player at the 2022 Next Generation Tournament in Austria, has already made 18 appearances for his senior national team and scored two goals.
A World Cup hero for Ecuador at the 2006 World Cup in Germany believes the South American sensation has all the tools to be even better than some of the best players that the beautiful game has ever seen.
“He has everything to be better than Leo Messi, better than Neymar, but it depends on him and his entourage,” Carlos Tenorio told L’Équipe after the youngster officially joined Strasbourg.
“This is the first time I’ve seen a player with these features. I think he has everything to become one of the most important players in world football,” Tenorio added.
Tenorio played a big part in Ecuador’s run to the last 16 of the 06 World Cup, scoring the winning goals in their opening two group fixtures versus Poland (2-0) and Costa Rica (3-0). To date, it’s their best-ever finish at a World Cup.
Paez has been turning heads since he was just a child, joining Barcelona’s youth department, Academia Alfaro Moreno, when he was five, the Barcelona of Ecuador and not the famous one in Spain.
Eventually, he would move to Ecuadorian giants Independiente del Valle, playing in their youth team from the age of 12, before eventually getting integrated into the senior squad in 2023.
He would score a combined 12 goals in two Ecuadorian Serie A seasons. For over two years, he knew he would move to the Premier League, joining Chelsea on his 18th birthday in June.
He has also been compared to former World Cup Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez (34), who’s strong with both feet, with great dribbling and speed.
In September 2023, he became the youngest Ecuadorian to feature for his country at 16 years old, and the second-youngest South American to feature in a senior match after the late Diego Maradona.
He would net his first international goal in Ecuador’s 2-1 win over Bolivia in October 2023, thus becoming the youngest goalscorer in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying history at 16 years and 161 days.
GFFN | Joel Lefevre
BREEZE_WEST
0
lamine yamal you will make the best prayer so You will make The laliga and copa del ray and kiss cop
Like you’ll vote for an u-18 player to win balon d’or .. lol you’d never get the chance anyways
Wewcimosu
1
Hahaha
jadacdint
1
Maresca's would be in fire come next 2 seasons, I strongly believe. 💙💙💪💪
vueeklnty
0
lamine yamal you will make the best prayer so You will make The laliga and copa del ray and kiss cop
Dealmaker
0
Wtf is this Please let the lad focus on his career He haven’t even done a bit of what those legend did
fatbeikor
2
Any player that will be better than Messi and Neymar would have won the Balon d'or before 18. By their footsteps, we shall know them
Posabdstyz
0
He is already a Chelsea player
Aseeco
1
Joke of the year he can be like Ronaldo not Messi lol 😂
That's good because goat Ronaldo is better than Messi 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣💙💙💙🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Naokmptuz
0
Ronaldo was not mentioned as one of the greatest in history, is it deliberate or he is not one of the best players in history? Just asking ooo no one should bites me o
Was the post tagged about European players or Greatest players in the world
Naokmptuz
1
Joke of the year he can be like Ronaldo not Messi lol 😂
Sorry enough for you, He is short like Messi, not tall like Ronaldo or you meant Ronaldo Nazario
Naokmptuz
0
Joke of the year he can be like Ronaldo not Messi lol 😂
Sorry enough for you, He is short like Messi, not tall like Ronaldo or you meant Ronaldo Rosario
sunglex
0
never heard his name before but comparing to Goat Messi 😂😂😂
Yahbknptu
0
Alot of people can b better dan him
Not in this lifetime
AFerusmc6546
0
Because no one can be better than Ronaldo
Alot of people can b better dan him
AFerusmc6546
0
Ronaldo was not mentioned as one of the greatest in history, is it deliberate or he is not one of the best players in history? Just asking ooo no one should bites me o
He’s not de best
Gislen10
2
Joke of the year he can be like Ronaldo not Messi lol 😂
Sakdenyz
0
Ronaldo was not mentioned as one of the greatest in history, is it deliberate or he is not one of the best players in history? Just asking ooo no one should bites me o
I think they are talking about American national teams not European
bwambamo
0
bu shit
Iffy106
3
Chelsea board right now
Yahbknptu
0
Ronaldo was not mentioned as one of the greatest in history, is it deliberate or he is not one of the best players in history? Just asking ooo no one should bites me o
Because no one can be better than Ronaldo
Herdural
2
Ronaldo was not mentioned as one of the greatest in history, is it deliberate or he is not one of the best players in history? Just asking ooo no one should bites me o
Hatbdkoryz
3
Chelsea is gradually turning into a South American club
melcomdias
1
😂😂😂😂😂
smahrt
5
Compare him with the likes of yamal, dembele, doue, them first before comparing him to Messi nd neymar
VIKINGSB
5
Barcelona and Messi fans coming for Carlos Tenorio [Crylaugh][Crylaugh]...