Commanding Argentine midfielder whose calm distribution and ball retention anchored PSG and the Argentina midfield during their World Cup-winning era.
Leandro Damián Paredes was born in San Isidro, Buenos Aires on 29 June 1994. A composed deep-lying playmaker with excellent passing range and positional intelligence, Paredes made his name in Italy with Chievo and Roma before a big-money move to Zenit Saint Petersburg. PSG signed him for £40m in January 2019, where he became a key part of their midfield alongside Verratti and others. During his time at PSG he won multiple Ligue 1 titles and reached the Champions League final in 2020. He joined Juventus on loan in 2022 before returning to PSG. Internationally, Paredes was an essential ball-handler and shield in Argentina's Copa América 2021 triumph and the 2022 World Cup winning campaign. He has earned over 60 caps for Argentina.
World Cup 2022
His cool, metronomic passing and ability to control the tempo of matches were central to Argentina's World Cup victory in Qatar, earning him considerable praise for his understated excellence.
Did You Know?Career Honours
- World Cup 2022
- Copa América 2021
- Ligue 1 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023