Franco Mastantuono has landed in Spain ahead of his Real Madrid presentation, and many are already calling him the biggest talent to come out of Argentina since Lionel Messi.
The boy is only 17 and was already a leader at River Plate. A few clips and some word-of-mouth about the Argentine are enough to excite any Real Madrid fan.
You will be told that the club has struck gold, and rightly so. Mastantuono is just that good. Juni Calafat considered him so important that he reportedly flew to Argentina himself to hijack the signing from Paris Saint-Germain.
Although Mastantuono has now arrived in Madrid and will be officially presented soon, he will not train until he turns 18, which is about two weeks away.
Scout who discovered Franco Mastantuono says he is the next after Lionel Messi
Daniel Brizuela, the former head of scouting at River Plate, was the one who first spotted Mastantuono and brought him into the club’s system. The man has only praise for the 17-year-old.
In a chat with Radio Marca, Brizuela made a massive claim about Mastantuono’s future, saying, “I’m sure he’ll be at the next World Cup. He’s the heir to the Argentina national team’s no. 10.”
It is a monumental statement about a boy who is still only 17. To inherit the number worn by Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi is to carry the weight of an entire country, perhaps even an entire continent.
His first year at Real Madrid will be crucial in determining whether he can make the cut for the 2026 World Cup. He must earn regular minutes and contribute significantly to the team.
And given how Xabi Alonso has managed young players, it is not far-fetched to think that Mastantuono could quickly become a vital part of the team this season.