In just a few short months, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/franco-mastantuono/">Franco Mastantuono</a> has become an increasingly important figure for both Real Madrid and the Argentina national team. At only 18 years old, the young winger could now find himself caught in the middle of a tug-of-war between the Spanish club and his country for one key reason.



Starting September 27, Chile will host the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/u-20-world-cup/">2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup</a>—a tournament featuring 24 of the top youth national teams from around the globe, made up of players under the age of 20. Argentina is among the participants, and the plan is for Mastantuono to be part of the squad.



However, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/real-madrid/">Real Madrid</a> may oppose his involvement—and they would have valid grounds to do so. The U-20 World Cup is not classified by FIFA as a mandatory release tournament like the senior World Cup, Copa America, or the European Championship. Therefore, clubs are not required to release players for it.



Despite this, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/argentina">Argentina</a> still plan to push forward in hopes of securing Mastantuono’s release. According to Ole, representatives from the Argentine Football Association will travel to Europe in the coming days to meet with Real Madrid—as well as other clubs in similar situations—and attempt to reach an agreement.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250911_WST_590107_Mastantuono-1200x675_185a5ec0.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-589809" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Mastantuono wore Argentina’s No. 10 jersey during a qualifier vs Ecuador in September.</figcaption></figure>



<h2>How many games would Mastantuono miss for Real Madrid if he plays the U-20 World Cup?</h2>



Unlike the senior World Cup—which will feature 48 teams next summer in the United States, Mexico, and Canada—the U-20 World Cup has a more compact format with only 24 teams, meaning the tournament runs on a shorter timeline.


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The opening match is scheduled for Saturday, September 27, and the final will be played on Sunday, October 19. One positive detail is that a portion of the tournament overlaps with the October international break, which means that players called up will miss fewer matches with their clubs.



Still, during that time frame, Real Madrid are set to play four matches across La Liga and the UEFA Champions League. Factoring in Argentina’s pre-tournament training and the travel time before and after the competition in Chile, Mastantuono could end up missing up to seven matches.



<h2>Argentina’s stars at the U-20 World Cup</h2>



Franco Mastantuono’s situation at Real Madrid is not the only concern facing Argentina’s U-20 team. Several other young stars could feature in this year’s tournament but may be held back by their European clubs.



Claudio Echeverri, recently loaned by Manchester City to Bayer Leverkusen, is one of the most important players on the squad and finds himself in the same uncertain position as Mastantuono. The same goes for Julio Soler, who plays in the Premier League with Bournemouth.



Among the names included in head coach Diego Placente’s preliminary list are several players with top-flight experience in Argentina: Boca Juniors’ Milton Delgado, River Plate’s Ian Subiabre, and Velez Sarsfield’s Maher Carrizo. Inter Miami’s new signing, Mateo Silvetti, is also part of the preliminary roster.

Report: Real Madrid and Argentina on collision course over rising star Franco Mastantuono

Report: Real Madrid and Argentina on collision course over rising star Franco Mastantuono - World Soccer Talk

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One of the biggest surprises before <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/argentina/">Argentina</a>’s match against Ecuador came in the locker room, when it was revealed that <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/franco-mastantuono/">Franco Mastantuono</a> would wear the legendary No. 10 jersey of Lionel Messi. With the captain unavailable, the 18-year-old Real Madrid prospect inherited the most iconic number in world soccer.



Mastantuono, formerly of River Plate and now part of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/real-madrid/">Real Madrid</a>, came off the bench and played a handful of minutes with the historic shirt. Despite his presence, Argentina fell to Sebastián Beccacece’s Ecuador, a result that dampened the debut of Messi’s temporary heir.



In his post-match press conference, coach <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/lionel-scaloni/">Lionel Scaloni</a> explained the decision behind the assignment: “At first, Thiago Almada was going to wear it, but he couldn’t take part in the match, so we gave it to Franco. We preferred not to risk Thiago due to a physical issue.”



<h2>Scaloni praises Mastantuono’s personality</h2>



Despite the defeat, Scaloni emphasized the positives of Mastantuono’s performance: “He came in well. He has personality, he likes to play with the ball, and he asks for it. The problem was that Ecuador was sitting deep with a compact block, and there weren’t many spaces.” 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250910_WST_589806_Mastantuono-1200x675_b05d569d.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-589809" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Mastantuono was the youngest player in Argentin’s history to wear the number 10 jersey.</figcaption></figure>



Scaloni stressed that the most important takeaway was the youngster’s willingness to step up: “What matters is that he always tries, and he has personality. It’s another match for him, more minutes with the national team, and that’s valuable.”


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The coach is already shifting his focus to October’s FIFA international window, where Argentina will play two friendlies.



<h2>Argentina’s upcoming matches</h2>



Argentina will return to action on Friday, October 10, 2025, when they face Venezuela at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. The match will kick off at 9:00 PM ET.



A few days later, Argentina will travel to Chicago to take on Puerto Rico in another friendly, with kickoff time yet to be confirmed. If Argentina wins both games, Scaloni’s squad could climb back to the top of the FIFA rankings, a position they lost following the defeat to Ecuador.

Lionel Scaloni explains why he gave Messi’s No.10 shirt to Franco Mastantuono

Lionel Scaloni explains why he gave Messi’s No.10 shirt to Franco Mastantuono - World Soccer Talk

On Thursday night, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/video-lionel-messi-scores-stunning-goal-for-argentina-vs-venezuela-in-world-cup-qualifier/">Lionel Messi played his final match in the World Cup qualifiers</a>, scoring twice in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Venezuela. Alongside him was Real Madrid rising star Franco Mastantuono, who later shared his honest thoughts about the experience of playing next to Leo.



“It’s incredible to play with him—honestly, it was the dream of my life,” <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/franco-mastantuono/">Mastantuono</a> admitted in an interview shared by TyC Sports after the match against Venezuela. The young winger added another special detail: “Doing it at River’s stadium made it even more incredible.”



For Mastantuono, it was only his second appearance with the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/argentina/">Argentina</a> senior national team, following his debut during the June international break against Chile. It was also his first time as a starter, and he played 63 minutes before being replaced by Nicolas Gonzalez.



Reflecting on what it means to share the pitch with <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/lionel-messi/">Messi</a>, Franco was candid. “Like I’ve always said, he’s been my idol since I was a kid. I watched his entire career growing up, and seeing him play like he did—being able to say goodbye in that way—it’s what he deserves and what we all wanted to see,” he explained.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250905_WST_588794_messi-mastan-1-1200x675_c156d82d.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-588796" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Franco Mastantuono of Argentina controls the ball next to Lionel Messi.</figcaption></figure>



<h2>Mastantuono apologizes to Messi</h2>



Both left-footed and naturally inclined to play on the right wing, Mastantuono and Messi were involved in several attacking moves together during their time on the field against Venezuela. One particular play, however, stood out.


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After a series of passes between several Argentine players, Leo set up Franco with a clever assist. Messi was expecting the return pass, but the Real Madrid talent chose to take the shot himself—sending it wide and immediately apologizing to his captain.



Asked about the moment in the post-match press conference, Mastantuono offered a light-hearted response. “I wanted to kill myself,” he said with a smile. “But it’s okay, he understood me and I apologized for the play.”



<h2>Will Mastantuono make the 2026 World Cup squad?</h2>



After being crowned champions in Qatar 2022, Argentina has continued its winning ways in recent years, lifting the Copa America 2024 and finishing atop the South American <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/world-cup-qualifiers/">qualifiers for the World Cup 2026</a>, well ahead of the competition.



However, that path has included significant changes to the roster, with the departure of several veterans and the emergence of a new wave of young talent steadily earning their place. Franco Mastantuono is among them, and he’ll be competing for one of the 26 spots on head coach Lionel Scaloni’s final list. That battle, though, will be fierce.



Argentina boast a deep group of attacking midfielders and forwards who will need to stand out to secure a spot in the squads headed to the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Among the established names are Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis Mac Allister, Thiago Almada, Giovani Lo Celso, Exequiel Palacios, and Nicolas Gonzalez. 



But there’s also a promising crop of young players, including Mastantuono, Nicolas Paz, Alejandro Garnacho, Valentin Carboni, Claudio Echeverri, and Facundo Buonanotte. Clearly, not everyone will make the cut.

Real Madrid’s Mastantuono jokes about moment with Messi during Argentina match: ‘I wanted to kill myself’

Real Madrid's Mastantuono jokes about moment with Messi during Argentina match: 'I wanted to kill myself' - World Soccer Talk

Thursday’s match against Venezuela will mark Argentina’s final home game in the World Cup qualifiers ahead of the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. At the same time, it could be <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/lionel-messi/">Lionel Messi</a>’s farewell in front of the home crowd—at least in official competition. With that backdrop, head coach Lionel Scaloni addressed the attacking options he’s considering.



With Argentina unable to count on Enzo Fernandez due to suspension after his red card against Colombia, and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/lionel-messi-could-miss-argentinas-premier-league-star-teammate-for-venezuela-game/">Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister likely unavailable after arriving late from England</a>, Scaloni was asked whether Franco Mastantuono could make the starting lineup.



“We spoke with him to see how he’s feeling, and it’s possible he could play,” the coach admitted in Wednesday’s press conference. <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/lionel-scaloni/">Scaloni</a> quickly praised how well Mastantuono has settled in since joining Real Madrid this summer. “He’s handling it in a positive way—his coach and teammates have embraced him, and that’s important.”



Scaloni then surprised many by adding another name to the mix for <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/argentina/">Argentina</a>’s attack vs. Venezuela. “Nico Paz also showed against Chile that he’s ready for this level,” said the coach, referring to the Como attacking midfielder, who has been making waves in Serie A and is reportedly drawing interest from top European clubs like Tottenham.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250903_WST_588310_Nico-Paz-1200x675_43ef5122.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-586732" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure><figcaption>Nico Paz has played three games for Argentina.</figcaption></figure>



“Both can contribute and be part of the team. We’ll make a final decision today—these are options we’re seriously considering,” Scaloni explained. “The only way to find out is to put them on the pitch, while keeping in mind their age, no matter what happens. These are young players who will give us a lot in the future.”


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<h2>How much have Paz and Mastantuono played for Argentina?</h2>



Nicolas Paz and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/franco-mastantuono/">Franco Mastantuono</a> are part of a wave of young talent that has joined the Argentina national team since the 2022 World Cup win in Qatar. They’re competing for spots on the squad for next year’s tournament alongside other promising names like Claudio Echeverri, Valentin Carboni, Alejandro Garnacho, and Facundo Buonanotte.



Paz has just three senior appearances with Argentina. He made his debut in October 2024, coming on in the final 17 minutes of a 6–0 win over Bolivia in the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/world-cup-qualifiers/">World Cup qualifiers</a>—during which he assisted Lionel Messi on one of the goals. He later featured in two more matches in the same competition, against Brazil and Chile. The latter was his only start to date.



Mastantuono’s experience with Argentina is even more limited. In that same match against Chile during the June international break, the Real Madrid winger made his debut, entering in the final six minutes. At just 17 years old, Franco became the youngest player ever to appear in an official match for Argentina.



<h2>Messi will be in the starting lineup</h2>



In the same press conference, Lionel Scaloni was asked about the status of Lionel Messi, who recovered from a muscle injury just a week ago. Despite that, the coach left no room for doubt regarding his plans for the forward: “Yes, Leo is going to play tomorrow. How could he not play?”

Two Argentina rising stars battling for spot alongside Messi in Scaloni’s World Cup qualifier plan vs Venezuela

Two Argentina rising stars battling for spot alongside Messi in Scaloni’s World Cup qualifier plan vs Venezuela - World Soccer Talk

It took only 10 days at Real Madrid for Franco Mastantuono to etch his name into the club’s history books. Handpicked by head coach <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/xabi-alonso/">Xabi Alonso</a> for the starting XI against Real Oviedo on Matchday 2 of the 2025/26 LaLiga season, the teenager from Azul, Argentina, became the youngest <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/real-madrid/">Real Madrid</a> starter in a domestic league match in the last 20 years.



According to stats expert OptaJavier, Mastantuono—just 18 years and 10 days old—claimed the milestone previously held by Brazilian wonderkid <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/endrick">Endrick</a>, who started against Getafe on Matchday 33 of the 2024/25 season.



Mastantuono featured for 63 minutes at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere before being replaced by Brahim Díaz, making an immediate impression with his composure and confidence on the ball. The date, August 24, 2025, will be remembered as the moment a new chapter began for Real Madrid’s next potential star.



<h2>Joining a historic list</h2>



The teenager’s breakthrough not only surpassed Endrick’s mark but also pushed aside another historic record. Mastantuono’s appearance came earlier than that of Miguel Pardeza, who started a league match for Madrid at 18 years and 25 days back on January 31, 1984.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="675" src="https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/full/WST_20250825_WST_586582_Mastantuono-4-1200x675_3e887df7.webp&amp;width=1200&amp;height=675" alt="" class="wp-image-586591" srcset="https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/25115029/Mastantuono-4-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/25115029/Mastantuono-4-300x169.jpg 300w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/25115029/Mastantuono-4-768x432.jpg 768w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/25115029/Mastantuono-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://images.futbolsites.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/08/25115029/Mastantuono-4.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></figure>



The full ranking of Madrid’s youngest starters features some illustrious names. At the top is Martin Ødegaard, who made the lineup on May 23, 2015, at just 16 years, 5 months, and 6 days. He is followed by Alberto Rivera, who debuted on June 10, 1995, at 16 years, 11 months, and 24 days. José Antonio Erice is next, starting on March 1, 1916, at 17 years and 1 day, while Raúl González, one of the most iconic players in club history, entered the XI on October 29, 1994, at 17 years, 4 months, and 2 days.


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Now, Mastantuono finds himself on that prestigious list, sparking excitement among Madridistas eager to see how far his talent can take him.



<h2>Looking ahead to Mallorca</h2>



Real Madrid continues its LaLiga campaign this Saturday at the Santiago Bernabéu, hosting Mallorca on Matchday 3. After back-to-back wins—1–0 against Osasuna and 3–0 away at Oviedo—the team will look to maintain momentum.



Reports from Valdebebas training suggest that Mastantuono has a real chance to start again, potentially forming an attacking trident alongside Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior. For a player barely past his 18th birthday, the opportunity to line up with two of the world’s biggest stars underscores just how highly Xabi Alonso rates him.

Franco Mastantuono registers historic feat in his first start for Real Madrid

Franco Mastantuono registers historic feat in his first start for Real Madrid - World Soccer Talk

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Franco Mastantuono registers historic feat in his first start for Real Madrid