Franco Mastantuono has emerged as one of the most coveted young players in the world, drawing attention at just 17 years old and seen as a future star for Argentina national team. After completing his high-profile move to Real Madrid, the wonderkid responded to recent talk about competing with Lamine Yamal for the Ballon d’Or in the years ahead.
A product of River Plate’s academy, Mastantuono joined Real Madrid in a record-breaking €45 million ($51.7M) deal—the largest transfer in Argentine club soccer history. With that price tag and sky-high expectations, Palmeiras star Estevão, who is set to join Chelsea, spoke about the trio’s future potential on the world stage.
“I hope to compete for the Ballon d’Or with Mastantuono and Lamine Yamal. The three of us are the same age. It would be incredible and really interesting to find ourselves in that situation,” the 18-year-old Brazilian told Diario AS.
In an interview with TyC Sports‘ Gastón Edul, Mastantuono responded to the comments with humility and focus. “Estevao is a great player. He just scored against Chelsea, and people really enjoyed watching him here in the Americas. As for the Ballon d’Or, honestly, it’s not something I’m thinking about right now. I’m focused on adapting to Real Madrid, starting to play, and winning—because that’s what the club demands. I want to win a lot of things with Real Madrid.”
The Argentine emphasized that his goals are team-focused, not individual. “If you ask me, my goal is to win many titles, fight for the Champions League, win La Liga—those are the things I have in mind. Obviously, the first step is to adapt and be ready to play there,” he added.
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“The Ballon d’Or is honestly not on my mind. I appreciate Estevão’s words, but it’s not something I’m focused on,” Mastantuono concluded. At just 17, expectations are sky-high, but the midfielder is clearly determined to stay grounded and evolve step by step.
Xabi Alonso played key role in Mastantuono’s Real Madrid decision
After attracting strong interest from Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, Real Madrid accelerated negotiations to secure the rising star. While a loan back to River Plate until the end of the year was an option, new head coach Xabi Alonso proved decisive in bringing him to Spain.
“I spoke with Xabi, and he was great with me. The conversation we had really motivated me to make the decision,” Mastantuono revealed. “He spoke to me with honesty, and that meant a lot. Leaving River isn’t easy, but it became easier because of the way he called me and the way he spoke to me,” he added.
The teenager also addressed that Madrid’s interest wasn’t new. “There had been talks with Real Madrid a year, a year and a half ago, but nothing came of it. I ended up renewing with River and played all of last year there. If you had asked me at the start of this year, I was fully focused on playing for River. But halfway through the year, Madrid came back—and the way they showed how much they wanted me really changed my perspective.”
