The 16-year-old who scored a great goal against Palmeiras is sold to Chelsea and was involved in controversy over his selection < In Attack

A great goal and a great performance against Palmeiras in the Copa Libertadores gave even more prominence to the great promise of Ecuadorian football. Right-winger Kendry Páez is 16 years old, plays for Independiente Del Valle, was sold to Chelsea, from England, and was recently involved in controversy for the Ecuador national team.

There are many facts surrounding a boy born on May 4, 2007. 10 days before turning 17, Kendry Páez was the protagonist of Independiente Del Valle in the 3-2 defeat to Palmeiras on Wednesday night (24 /4), for the third round of Group F of the Libertadores.

At 38 in the first half, the 16-year-old provided an assist for Michael Hoyos to extend the lead he had previously opened. In the 12th minute, Kendry Páez performed a beautiful individual play, with tables between him and his teammates, and finished with his left leg without giving Weverton a chance. See the goal in the video below.

In the second half, Del Valle was unable to contain Palmeiras’ momentum, and Kendry Páez did not participate in goals again. In this way, the Ecuadorian team suffered a comeback and lost the game. Even so, the player’s performance drew attention.

Who is Kendry Páez

Born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Kendry Páez went through the youth ranks and joined Independiente Del Valle’s professional team at the age of 15, last season. And right on his debut, he scored a goal and broke a record in the Ecuadorian Championship: he became the youngest person to find the net in the tournament.

The early success led Chelsea to make an investment in the left-footed athlete, who signed a contract with the English team in June 2023 and will perform two years later, when he is 18 years old. The London club paid 20 million euros (R$ 111 million at the time) for the negotiation.

Also in 2023, Kendry Páez was called up for the first time to defend the Ecuador national team and debuted with an assist against Uruguay. This match made the right winger become the youngest to wear the Ecuador shirt, to start in the Qualifiers and provide an assist in the South American tournament.

However, his time with the national team had a controversial chapter recently. Along with Gonzalo Plata, from Al-Sadd, and Robert Arboleda, from São Paulo, Kendry Páez was filmed in a stripper club in the United States, after Ecuador’s 2-0 defeat to Italy, on March 24, 2024 The presence of a 16-year-old in an establishment like this is a crime in the USA.