Franco Mastantuono is now a Real Madrid player and will sign from August 14, 2025, to June 30, 2031, after reaching an agreement with River Plate. In the official statement, the Argentine club said that “the total amount of the transfer was €63.2 million, equivalent to $72.6 million, making it the biggest transfer in the history of Argentine soccer.”
It was a deal that was closed very quickly. Faced with interest from PSG, Real Madrid made their move and sent Calafat to Argentina to get ahead of the game for a player whom the Whites see as a bet for the present and the future, a player who can make history and who did not hesitate to choose the Santiago Bernabéu as soon as Real Madrid entered the scene.
A great opportunity and responsibility
The young Argentine will cross the pond at just 17 years of age, which, in the words of his national team coach Scaloni, is a big deal. “The reflection is that, if it happens, it’s very important. Going to Real Madrid is huge because it’s the best club in the world or one of the best in the world, it’s a big step for him. He is 17 years old and what we have discussed with him is that if he continues with that desire to learn and that mindset, things will go well for him. We need his entourage to know that they are dealing with a 17-year-old boy who will have a path to follow to become even better,” he said at a press conference.
His arrival will be a challenge for a player with enormous talent and versatility across the whole pitch, so Xabi Alonso will have to make decisions about where to play him and what role he will take on given the fierce competition at a club like Real Madrid.
The other Argentinians at Real Madrid
The other Argentine players who have played for the white team have been aware of the responsibility that comes with wearing this shirt. The last of them was Angel Di Maria, who left the Santiago Bernabéu in 2014 for Manchester. The player, who spent four seasons wearing white, was an idol for the fans under José Mourinho.
Following in the footsteps of Franco Mastantuono from River Plate, Gonzalo Higuaín arrived in 2007, also with the label of a promising player, but he lacked consistency, despite some good moments that earned him a move to Napoli.
In the 1990s, there was an Argentine who became an idol for Madrid fans: Redondo, who won two Champions Leagues and left the club in 2000.
Before them all were two icons who are still at Real Madrid today: Jorge Valdano and Alfredo Di Stefano. The former player, now a sports commentator, was a player in the 1980s, a coach, and then a director. The honorary president, after whom the stadium where Real Madrid Castilla plays in Valdebebas is named, is undoubtedly one of the most important names in the club’s history.