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Franco Mastantuono: Real Madrid’s breakout star

Franco Mastantuono: Real Madrid’s breakout star

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From Alfredo Di Stéfano to Santiago Solari, from Gonzalo Higuaín to Fernando Redondo, we’ve seen quite a few Argentine players make a name for themselves at Real Madrid. The latest to do so is Franco Mastantuono, who, at just 18 years of age, is staking his claim as one of the brightest talents in world football.

By Zach Lowy

Born in Azul, Argentina, Mastantuono began playing football at three years old at River de Azul, where his father coached him. He declined an offer to join River Plate’s academy in 2017 in order to focus on tennis, instead joining Club Cimento, before deciding to move to River in 2019. Mastantuono skyrocketed through their youth ranks and quickly earned a professional contract, and just one week after becoming River’s third-youngest ever debutant, he surpassed Javier Saviola as River’s youngest-ever scorer on February 8, 2024.

This year, Mastantuono has become River’s youngest-ever player to score against archrivals Boca Juniors, and he’s also smashed Adolfo Heisinger’s 109-year record as the Albiceleste’s youngest-ever player. It’s why, right before he started in each of River’s three matches at the FIFA Club World Cup, Real Madrid completed the signing of Mastantuono on a contract through 2031, paying €45 million for his services.

The first Argentine player to sign for Real Madrid since Ángel Di María in 2010, Mastantuono has made an immediate impact in the Spanish capital and ingratiated himself with new manager Xabi Alonso. Whereas many Madridistas would have expected Mastantuono to be gradually phased into the team, Alonso has wasted no time in thrusting him into the XI at the expense of more experienced figures like Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Brahim Díaz or Arda Güler. With Luka Modrić now plying his trade in Milan, Mastantuono has helped to fill the Croat’s creative void thanks to his superb dribbling prowess, his ability to change direction at a moment’s notice, and his willingness to drift around the pitch and link play with his teammates, offering a reliable source of creativity and dynamism on the right side of attack.

“There’s still some work to be done in terms of passing in the final third, but Mastantuono has been quite good – definitely a net positive so far,” stated Managing Madrid writer Mehedi Hassan. “Madrid haven’t had a left-footed right winger since Gareth Bale, and as such, the angles that Mastantuono creates are unique and dangerous compared to other options available to Alonso. In contrast to Rodrygo, whose natural game is to drift wider, Mastantuono usually takes the onus on himself to come inside after taking on the defender, whilst he also possesses a strong shot from the edge of the box. And at just 18 years of age, he works relentlessly hard out of possession and puts way more effort into retrieving the ball than Vinícius or Kylian Mbappé.”

Mastantuono’s breakout 2025

Whilst he’s far from the quickest winger, Mastantuono makes up for his lack of velocity with his impressive speed of thought and technical finesse, consistently shielding the ball from his opponents and keeping it glued to his laces whilst swerving in and out of pressure. Not only does he constantly have his head on a swivel in order to anticipate his rival’s actions, but his both-footedness and low centre of gravity enable him to engineer scoring angles out of thin air and get a shot off with minimal preparation time. Mastantuono ranks third in Real Madrid’s squad for Shots per 90 (3.5), Expected Goals + Expected Assists per 90 (0.57) and Successful Dribbles per 90 (2.5), whilst only Kylian Mbappé (0.91) is racking up more Expected Goals per 90 than Mastantuono (0.41) in LaLiga.

Despite not even getting to train with the first team until turning 18 on August 14, Mastantuono has enjoyed a seamless transition into European football and turned himself into a key figure for Real Madrid in the opening weeks of the campaign. He has that X-factor, that extra bit of confidence needed to thrive at the biggest clubs in world football, that intrinsic need to take the game by the scruff of his neck and impose his quality. Whether it’s getting stuck in and winning the ball back with a well-executed tackle, or exploiting vacant space between the lines with an incisive third-man run, or launching a long-distance missile with the perfect blend of precision and power, Mastantuono is a multi-faceted weapon in attack.

“Franco has a lot going for him,” stated Alonso. “I love how competitive he is – that competitive gene is fundamental to our team – he has a lot of energy and has had a very good adaptation, and we’re going to enjoy him.”

Mastantuono’s early defensive numbers, LaLiga 2025/26

After coming off the bench in their season opener vs. Osasuna, Mastantuono started in two straight matches for Real before heading to South America and competing in Argentina’s two World Cup qualifiers, wearing the No. 10 in the absence of Lionel Messi. He was given a breather in his first match back from international break, before making his way back to the line-up vs. Marseille and surpassing Endrick as the youngest Real player to start in the UEFA Champions League.

Mastantuono then started vs. Espanyol and Levante, scoring his debut goal in the latter, before coming off the bench in a 5-2 defeat to Atlético Madrid. The Argentine youngster was one of the few bright spots of Real’s dismal derby display, winning 5 out of 11 ground duels in addition to 4 fouls, and all signs point to him returning to the starting XI for Tuesday’s trip to Kazakhstan against Kairat Almaty.

At just 18 years of age, Franco Mastantuono has already staked his claim as an indispensable figure for both Real Madrid and Argentina, and all signs point to him being selected for his first-ever senior international tournament next summer as Argentina seek a fourth consecutive major trophy. Before that, though, he’ll be looking to build on his whirlwind development at the club level and help Real reclaim their status as the kings of Europe and the champions of Spain.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow the every Real Madrid game with FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Franco Mastantuono: Real Madrid’s breakout star

From Alfredo Di Stéfano to Santiago Solari, from Gonzalo Higuaín to Fernando Redondo, we’ve seen quite a few Argentine players make a name for themselves at Real Madrid. The latest to do so is Franco Mastantuono, who, at just 18 years of age, is staking his claim as one of the brightest talents in world football.

By Zach Lowy

Born in Azul, Argentina, Mastantuono began playing football at three years old at River de Azul, where his father coached him. He declined an offer to join River Plate’s academy in 2017 in order to focus on tennis, instead joining Club Cimento, before deciding to move to River in 2019. Mastantuono skyrocketed through their youth ranks and quickly earned a professional contract, and just one week after becoming River’s third-youngest ever debutant, he surpassed Javier Saviola as River’s youngest-ever scorer on February 8, 2024.

This year, Mastantuono has become River’s youngest-ever player to score against archrivals Boca Juniors, and he’s also smashed Adolfo Heisinger’s 109-year record as the Albiceleste’s youngest-ever player. It’s why, right before he started in each of River’s three matches at the FIFA Club World Cup, Real Madrid completed the signing of Mastantuono on a contract through 2031, paying €45 million for his services.

The first Argentine player to sign for Real Madrid since Ángel Di María in 2010, Mastantuono has made an immediate impact in the Spanish capital and ingratiated himself with new manager Xabi Alonso. Whereas many Madridistas would have expected Mastantuono to be gradually phased into the team, Alonso has wasted no time in thrusting him into the XI at the expense of more experienced figures like Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Brahim Díaz or Arda Güler. With Luka Modrić now plying his trade in Milan, Mastantuono has helped to fill the Croat’s creative void thanks to his superb dribbling prowess, his ability to change direction at a moment’s notice, and his willingness to drift around the pitch and link play with his teammates, offering a reliable source of creativity and dynamism on the right side of attack.

“There’s still some work to be done in terms of passing in the final third, but Mastantuono has been quite good – definitely a net positive so far,” stated Managing Madrid writer Mehedi Hassan. “Madrid haven’t had a left-footed right winger since Gareth Bale, and as such, the angles that Mastantuono creates are unique and dangerous compared to other options available to Alonso. In contrast to Rodrygo, whose natural game is to drift wider, Mastantuono usually takes the onus on himself to come inside after taking on the defender, whilst he also possesses a strong shot from the edge of the box. And at just 18 years of age, he works relentlessly hard out of possession and puts way more effort into retrieving the ball than Vinícius or Kylian Mbappé.”

Mastantuono’s breakout 2025

Whilst he’s far from the quickest winger, Mastantuono makes up for his lack of velocity with his impressive speed of thought and technical finesse, consistently shielding the ball from his opponents and keeping it glued to his laces whilst swerving in and out of pressure. Not only does he constantly have his head on a swivel in order to anticipate his rival’s actions, but his both-footedness and low centre of gravity enable him to engineer scoring angles out of thin air and get a shot off with minimal preparation time. Mastantuono ranks third in Real Madrid’s squad for Shots per 90 (3.5), Expected Goals + Expected Assists per 90 (0.57) and Successful Dribbles per 90 (2.5), whilst only Kylian Mbappé (0.91) is racking up more Expected Goals per 90 than Mastantuono (0.41) in LaLiga.

Despite not even getting to train with the first team until turning 18 on August 14, Mastantuono has enjoyed a seamless transition into European football and turned himself into a key figure for Real Madrid in the opening weeks of the campaign. He has that X-factor, that extra bit of confidence needed to thrive at the biggest clubs in world football, that intrinsic need to take the game by the scruff of his neck and impose his quality. Whether it’s getting stuck in and winning the ball back with a well-executed tackle, or exploiting vacant space between the lines with an incisive third-man run, or launching a long-distance missile with the perfect blend of precision and power, Mastantuono is a multi-faceted weapon in attack.

“Franco has a lot going for him,” stated Alonso. “I love how competitive he is – that competitive gene is fundamental to our team – he has a lot of energy and has had a very good adaptation, and we’re going to enjoy him.”

Mastantuono’s early defensive numbers, LaLiga 2025/26

After coming off the bench in their season opener vs. Osasuna, Mastantuono started in two straight matches for Real before heading to South America and competing in Argentina’s two World Cup qualifiers, wearing the No. 10 in the absence of Lionel Messi. He was given a breather in his first match back from international break, before making his way back to the line-up vs. Marseille and surpassing Endrick as the youngest Real player to start in the UEFA Champions League.

Mastantuono then started vs. Espanyol and Levante, scoring his debut goal in the latter, before coming off the bench in a 5-2 defeat to Atlético Madrid. The Argentine youngster was one of the few bright spots of Real’s dismal derby display, winning 5 out of 11 ground duels in addition to 4 fouls, and all signs point to him returning to the starting XI for Tuesday’s trip to Kazakhstan against Kairat Almaty.

At just 18 years of age, Franco Mastantuono has already staked his claim as an indispensable figure for both Real Madrid and Argentina, and all signs point to him being selected for his first-ever senior international tournament next summer as Argentina seek a fourth consecutive major trophy. Before that, though, he’ll be looking to build on his whirlwind development at the club level and help Real reclaim their status as the kings of Europe and the champions of Spain.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow the every Real Madrid game with FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.