River Plate debuted in the FIFA Club World Cup with a comfortable 3-1 victory in Seattle against Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds, where Franco Mastantuono, the new jewel of Argentine football at just 17 years old, showed some of the talent that led Real Madrid to sign him in a record transfer.
This tournament will be Mastantuono’s last tournament with the “millionaire” team before traveling to Spain to join the “merengue” team and start working under the orders of his new coach, Xabi Alonso, who has already said that “we are happy with Franco, because he is a guy with a fantastic present and a brutal future. I was impressed with the conversations I had with him: for his ambition and maturity”.
Mastantuono has surpassed Messi
On June 11th, the talented attacking midfielder made his debut with the senior Argentina national team in the 82nd minute of the match against Chile in the South American World Cup Qualifiers at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago. The team won 1-0 as visitors, and at 17 years and 295 days old, he became the youngest player to officially represent the Albiceleste in history.
For reference, Lionel Messi’s first official match with Argentina (against Paraguay in the qualifiers) was played when he was 18 years and two months old, in September 2005.
In any case, the absolute record is held by Diego Armando Maradona, who played his first match wearing the albiceleste jersey at 16 years and three months, in a friendly against Hungary in February 1977.
Like Messi and Maradona, who along with Pelé are among the top three best football players in history, Mastantuono quickly caught the attention of European football giants, and a few days ago he was transferred to Real Madrid for a record amount for Argentine football of 72 million dollars, which also includes the tax to be paid to the Spanish treasury.
Who is Franco Mastantuono?
The particular thing about Mastantuono’s development is that it was not always defined by soccer. During his childhood and part of his adolescence, he divided his time and energy between soccer and tennis, where at the age of 12 he was among the best in his country.
Despite his brilliant career with the racket, Franco chose soccer. The decision was motivated by his passion for the ball and the key intervention of River Plate.
His rise in football has been as rapid as it has been dazzling. Since he arrived at River in 2019, his progression has been constant. In August 2023, he signed his first professional contract, and weeks later, the then head coach Martín Demichelis decided to incorporate him into the first division after confirming his talent, especially his ability to make intelligent decisions with the ball at his feet.
The debut in the first division took place on January 28, 2024 against Argentinos Juniors, for the Cup of the League, at just 16 years old. From that moment on, his talent began to speak for itself.
His consecration came in the best way for River: with a stunning free-kick goal against Boca Juniors, in the super classic of Argentine football, which made him the youngest player to score in this historic rivalry. That moment not only consecrated him before the “millionaire” fans, but also confirmed what many already suspected: he was ready for great challenges.
His outstanding performance in that match and his consistent performance led Lionel Scaloni to call him up for the Argentine national team in the double round of Qualifiers against Chile and Colombia.
Now, just like Messi and Maradona in Barcelona, he will begin his career in Europe in Spanish soccer, although this time wearing a white shirt.