Kendry Páez

Ray Kendry Páez Andrade (born 4 May 2007) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ecuadorian Serie A club Independiente Del Valle and the Ecuador national team. He will join Premier League club Chelsea in July 2025.

Kendry Páez
Personal information
Full name Ray Kendry Páez Andrade[1]
Date of birth (2007-05-04) 4 May 2007[1]
Place of birth Guayaquil, Ecuador[2]
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Independiente del Valle
Number 55
Youth career
2012–2015 Academia Alfaro Moreno
2015–2016 Emelec
2016–2017 Patria
2018–2023 Independiente del Valle
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023– Independiente del Valle 17 (3)
International career‡
2022–2023 Ecuador U17 13 (5)
2023– Ecuador U20 4 (1)
2023– Ecuador 3 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:00, 12 September 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19:32, 12 September 2023 (UTC)

Club career

Early career

Born in Guayaquil, Páez began his career with local side Barcelona SC's youth department Academia Alfaro Moreno at the age of five. Barcelona SC was offered the chance to register Páez at the age of eight, but the club did not sign him as it was "too hard for a president to pay for a player at this age".[3] He later had a short stint at Emelec before moving to Patria, where he started to feature more regularly as a forward.[4]

Independiente del Valle

Páez joined Independiente del Valle in 2018, aged 12. His performances for their youth team, including being named most outstanding player at the 2022 Next Generation Trophy in Salzburg, Austria, drew the attention of multiple clubs across Europe.[5][6] He reportedly attracted interest from German club Borussia Dortmund,[7] while English side Manchester United had an opening bid for Páez rejected in December 2022.[8]

He was promoted to the Independiente del Valle's first team for the 2023 pre-season, at the age of fifteen.[8] On 25 February 2023, he marked his highly anticipated professional debut with a goal; the third in a 3–1 Ecuadorian Serie A win over Mushuc Runa. Having received a lifted cut-back on the right-hand side of the penalty area from Anthony Landázuri, he instinctively floated the ball over the goalkeeper, Jorge Pinos, on the volley into the far corner of the goal.[9] In doing so, he became the youngest debutant, and youngest goal-scorer, in the Ecuadorian top flight.[10]

Chelsea

On 5 June 2023, it was announced that Paez would join Premier League club Chelsea after his 18th birthday, in the summer of 2025.[11]

International career

Paéz has represented Ecuador at under-17 level, scoring against both Argentina and Colombia.[8][12] He was left out of Ecuador's under-20 squad for the 2023 South American U-20 Championship to facilitate his transition into the Independiente del Valle first team squad.[13]

He was called up to the Ecuador under-17 squad again for the 2023 South American U-17 Championship in March 2023. In their first game, he provided an assist for Ecuador's second goal in their 2–2 comeback draw with Brazil - a through-ball from his own half which was then converted by teammate Geremy de Jesús.[14] Páez was included in Ecuador's squad for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina; he was the youngest player to be included in the final squad of any of the participating nations in the tournament. On 26 May, Páez scored a goal in Ecuador's 9–0 win over Fiji, becoming the youngest player to score in the FIFA U20 World Cup.[15]

On 5 June 2023, Páez was called up to the Ecuador senior squad for the first time.[16]

On 12 September 2023, Páez made his debut with the senior team, starting in a 2–1 World Cup qualifier win over Uruguay and providing the assist for Félix Torres' match winning goal. Thus, he became the youngest player ever to represent La Tri and the second youngest South American to ever play international football behind Diego Maradona.[17] On 12 October, he scored his first goal for Ecuador in a 2–1 win over Bolivia, becoming the youngest ever goalscorer in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers at the age of 16 years and 161 days.[18][19]

Style of play

Described as a fearless dribbler, Paéz took inspiration from fellow Ecuadorian Gonzalo Plata and Argentine Lionel Messi, both of whom he watched as a child, to improve his own dribbling ability.[20]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 2 September 2023.[21]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup League cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Independiente del Valle 2023 Ecuadorian Serie A 12100—5[lower-alpha 1]000171
Career total 12100005000171
  1. Appearance in Copa Libertadores

International
As of 18 October 2023[22]
Ecuador
YearAppsGoals
202331
Total31
List of international goals scored by Kendry Páez
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
112 October 2023Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia Bolivia1–02–12026 FIFA World Cup qualification

References
  1. "FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023™ SQUAD LIST: Ecuador (ECU)" (PDF). FIFA. 22 May 2023. p. 5. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  2. Kendry Páez at WorldFootball.net
  3. "Revelan el motivo por el cual Barcelona SC no fichó a Kendry Páez" [Revealed the reason why Barcelona SC did not sign Kendry Páez] (in Spanish). El VAR. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  4. "Kendry Páez pasó por Barcelona y Emelec antes de llegar a Independiente del Valle" [Kendry Páez represented Barcelona and Emelec before arriving at Independiente del Valle] (in Spanish). El Comercio. 2 March 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  5. Álvarez, Paulo (16 January 2023). "Kendry Paéz, promesa tricolor, es buscado desde Europa" [Kendry Paéz, tricolor promise, is wanted from Europe]. benditofutbol.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  6. "Kendry Páez, la joya guayaquileña de 15 años que brilla en las formativas de Independiente del Valle y que interesa a clubes importantes de Europa" [Kendry Páez, the 15-year-old jewel from Guayaquil who shines in the training sessions of Independiente del Valle and who interests important clubs in Europe]. eluniverso.com (in Spanish). 18 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  7. "Exclusivo: el club europeo que ya habló con IDV para fichar a Kendry Páez" [Exclusive: the European club that already spoke with IDV to sign Kendry Páez]. ole.com.ar (in Spanish). 16 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  8. "La importante decisión que tomó IDV con Kendry Páez" [The important decision that IDV made with Kendry Páez]. ole.com.ar (in Spanish). 15 December 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  9. "Así fue el debut de Kendry Páez: mucha voluntad, valentía y golazo" [This was the debut of Kendry Páez: a lot of will, courage and a great goal]. ole.com.ar (in Spanish). 25 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  10. De la Rica, Patxo (25 February 2023). "Kendry Páez, la nueva perla de Sudamérica: 15 años, debut con gol y rumbo a Europa" [Kendry Páez, the new pearl of South America: 15 years old, debut with a goal and heading to Europe]. relevo.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  11. "Paez to join Chelsea". www.chelseafc.com. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  12. "Video de Kendry Páez, la nueva joya de Ecuador: un golazo a Argentina 'a lo Maradona' y mirado por los grandes de Europa" [Video of Kendry Páez, the new jewel of Ecuador: a great goal against Argentina 'a la Maradona' and watched by the greats of Europe]. ole.com.ar (in Spanish). 27 October 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  13. "Estos son los ecuatorianos que están en el extranjero y no fueron convocados para el Sudamericano Sub-20 Colombia 2023" [These are the Ecuadorians who are abroad and were not called up for the South American Sub-20 Colombia 2023]. eluniverso.com (in Spanish). 9 January 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  14. "¡Kendry Páez lideró a La Tri Sub 17 en un debut que ilusiona!" [Kendry Páez led La Tri Sub 17 in an exciting debut!]. futbolecuador.com (in Spanish). 31 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  15. "For Ecuadorian history-maker Kendry Paez age is no barrier". FIFA. 1 June 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  16. @LaTri (June 5, 2023). "Nuestros 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘀 🔥 🫡 Ellos son los elegidos por el DT Félix Sánchez Bas para la doble fecha FIFA de Junio 💪 Tío @PilsenerEcuador a celebrar que regresa #LaTri #PiensaEnGrande🇪🇨" [Our summoned players 🔥 🫡 They are the ones chosen by DT Félix Sánchez Bas for the double FIFA date of June 💪 Uncle @PilsenerEcuador to celebrate the return of #LaTri #PiensaEnGrande🇪🇨] (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. Cons, Roddy (13 September 2023). "Ecuador and future Chelsea star Kendry Páez second only to Diego Maradona in South America". AS. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  18. "Paez breaks record with Ecuador goal". BBC. 13 October 2023.
  19. "Why Chelsea wonderkid is still breaking records in Ecuador" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  20. "Kendry Páez es la nueva joya de Independiente del Valle" [Kendry Páez is the new jewel of Independiente del Valle]. lacancha.com.ec (in Spanish). 27 October 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
  21. Kendry Páez at Soccerway
  22. Kendry Páez at National-Football-Teams.com
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