Franco Mastantuono Biography
Argentinian soccer player One of the great promises of Argentine football
| Name | Franco Mastantuono |
| Parents | Cristian and Sofia |
| Sporting debut | January 28, 2024 CA River Plate |
| Club | CA River Plate |
| League | Argentine First Division |
| Position | Midfielder Left foot |
| Height | 5'9“ ft |
Franco Mastantuono was born on the 14th of August, 2007 in Azul, Argentina.
Family of Franco:
Son of a Cristian and Sofia, he has two siblings; Lucila and Valentin.
He grew up in a family that loved sports and both his parents were athletes. His father played football for fun while his mother is a tennis mentor. This influenced his career path as he excelled in both football and tennis but eventually chose football.
The beginning:
At three years old, Mastantuono started playing football at Club River Plate de Azul where his dad was the coach. After being given an opportunity to train with the professional team at River Plate in 2017, he refused to join their academy because his mom wanted him to become a professional tennis player instead. In national level competitions, he played well enough to excel at tennis which is why at eleven years old he joined Cemento Armado FootBall Club. Finally, two years later in 2019, he accepted River Plate’s offer and moved to Buenos Aires to play for the youth side of this club in that city.
Playing style of Franco:
Franco is an attacking midfielder who uses his left foot for most of his kicks. He is known for having good ball control skills as well as dribbling abilities and excellent passing ability. As such, he can also be deployed as a right winger or any other position on the field since he is versatile. He is creative person who plays using technique too.
River Plate 2024 Performance:
He made his debut in the last match of the 2019 season, helping the team win their youth league. He enrolled to take part in AFA tournaments a year later but an Argentina COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his season.
In August 2023, he signed his first professional contract with a release clause of €30 million. His contract runs until December 31st, 2026.
Franco Record-Breaking Debut and Rapid Rise:
The rise was meteoric for him; on January 28th, 2024, he played his first match in River Plate’s senior team becoming the third youngest player to achieve this. He stood out almost instantly though by scoring his first ever professional goal during a Copa Argentina game against Excursionistas and at just 16 years and 177 days become the clubs youngest ever scorer. Mastantuono played regularly in Liga Profesional that season (2024), showing remarkable development and maturity for such a young player. The Supercopa Argentina in which they emerged champions took place during the year when Franco was among them.
National selection:
Franco has represented Argentina at various youth levels. He was named to both U-17 and U-20 national teams making his debut on June 7th, 2024.
Signings:
At seventeen, Franco Mastantuono is already regarded as one of the most promising talents in Argentine football. His career at River Plate along with performances within youth teams suggests that he will be an indicator for South American soccer going forward. His performance drew attention from European elites like Real Madrid or Barcelona who consider signing him as well due to influence he brings into play. Los Blancos are keen on concluding a deal for the Argentinean player as soon as possible but rather ideally they would wait until next summer before he could join their squad at new Bernabéu stadium. Though it may have evolved subsequently at other negotiations, the minimum transfer fee demanded was €45m, although the club could have accepted potentially €25 m plus add-ons.
Off the field, Franco enjoys music and reading, and is known for his calm and focused character.
Summary:
A talented footballer and former tennis player. His career in soccer began at a very young age. He joined River Plate in 2019 after focusing on tennis, where he has been one of their outstanding attacking midfielders. This has caught the eye of top European clubs like Barcelona or Real Madrid who are known for having excellent ball control skills as well as being creative.
Did you know...
Franco Mastantuono was the youngest goalscorer in River Plate's history, scoring his first professional goal at just 16 years and 177 days old. Additionally, before he decided to be a professional footballer only, he was ranked as one of Argentina’s best young tennis players.
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