It is the sign of the times when an upcoming football talent once wanted to be a YouTube star.
“Hello friends, welcome to my channel,” a 10-year-old Franco Mastantuono said as he started his first YouTube video in 2017.
As a kid, Mastantuono wanted to be a YouTuber at all costs, but despite the fun he had making videos alongside his brother and sister, his footballing talent means he has become the narrative rather than the narrator.
Mastantuono began playing organised football at River de Azul, where his father was the coach, before joining River Plate in 2019. The move could have happened two years earlier when Mastantuono impressed during a trial in Azul and was invited to go to River.
The young Argentinian impressed in River’s youth teams, rising through the ranks until he made his first-team debut in January 2024 at age 16. The following month, he scored his first goal with River in a 3-0 victory against Excursionistas in the cup, becoming the team’s youngest goalscorer — the two dates are tattooed on Mastantuono’s left arm.
(Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)
His talent and performances helped him establish himself as a regular in River’s starting line-up this season, while catching the eyes of the biggest teams in Europe.
This month, Real Madrid completed the signing of the Argentina forward on a six-year deal, paying €63.2million, with River receiving €45m and the remaining €18.2m being distributed between the Spanish tax authorities (€11.8m), the players’ association, the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and additional fees.
Mastantuono will join Madrid on August 14 — his 18th birthday — which has allowed him to play with River in the Club World Cup, where he can showcase his talent to a wider audience and test himself against different teams.
This season, Mastantuono has predominantly played on the right side of River’s front three, and that was again the case in their Club World Cup win against Urawa Red Diamonds on Tuesday.
However, instead of being an out-and-out winger in their 4-3-3, Mastantuono usually roams inside the pitch, with River’s full-backs pushing high.
That was the case for River’s opening goal against Urawa, too, as Mastantuono drove inside and then switched the play with a looping pass. Marcos Acuna then crossed for Facundo Colidio to head home.
On other occasions this season, River’s right midfielder has switched positions with Mastantuono to put the 17-year-old in dangerous positions between the lines.
As a playmaker, this role in possession suits Mastantuono and plays to his strengths. His profile is that of a No 10 or a narrow forward, who is highly technical, thrives in tight spaces and has an incredible shot on him.
Starting in the half-space, Mastantuono likes to drop and present himself as a passing option for his team-mates. That is complemented by his surreal ability to pass or dribble on the turn, which allows him to bypass defenders even if he can only see them in his peripheral vision.
Between the lines, Mastantuono is constantly aware of his surroundings and receives the ball with the optimal foot that allows him to shield it while attacking the space.
On top of that, his ability to control the ball with either foot gives him an advantage as he can take the next action with the other one, saving a fraction of a second before the opponent closes down.
In this example, against Gimnasia in April, Mastantuono receives the ball from Kevin Castano with his right foot…
… and immediately dribbles with his left to create a shooting angle as the opposing defender moves up.
The River forward narrowly misses the target, but it’s important to highlight his actions before the shot.
Considering the distance between himself and the defender, if Mastantuono initially receives the ball with his left foot, he would need more time to use the same foot to create the shooting angle, allowing the opponent to close down.
Controlling the ball with one foot and doing the action with the other is a signature of Mastantuono’s game, which allows him to create better passing and shooting angles.
The River forward likes one-v-one situations and his dribbling is more about keeping the ball close to his feet while changing its direction in a small area. This is another attribute which helps him create the angle for a pass or a shot.
In that same match against Gimnasia, Mastantuono scored by dribbling inside from the right wing, before striking the ball into the bottom corner.
The River forward initially keeps the ball close while taking multiple touches…
… and chooses the moment the defender has his body weight on his right leg to dribble inside with a stronger touch, before dribbling past another player and making it 2-0.
Mastantuono’s attacking profile functions in a way that plays to the strengths of his strongest asset: his ball striking. The small spaces the 17-year-old creates are complemented by his incredible shooting technique, enabling him to strike the ball with the perfect mix of power and placement.
That is obvious in his set-piece deliveries as well, which is best encapsulated by his free-kick goal in the 2-1 victory against Boca Juniors in April.
Off the ball, Mastantuono is smart when it comes to attacking the spaces between the lines…
… or behind the opponent’s defence.
In this example, from the 4-1 victory against Velez Sarsfield last month, River’s centre-forward, Sebastian Driussi, drops and moves the opponent’s left centre-back out of position.
Mastantuono spots the gap and attacks the space in Velez’s defence, but Enzo Perez’s pass is overhit.
Velez’s goalkeeper collects the ball, but in a bizarre situation, drops it, and Mastantuono’s run means that he is in a position to collect the loose ball. The River forward then plays the ball back to Ignacio Fernandez, who curls it into the empty net.
Mastantuono was fortunate to record this as an assist, but it’s the perfect reward to his untiring off-ball movement.
In terms of his passing, the young forward can play line-splitting passes at the snap of his fingers, but knowing when to pick the runner instead of dribbling or taking a shot should improve as he matures.
Another area of development is his lack of aggression when attacking crosses. Mastantuono is smart in his positioning inside the penalty area, but he needs to be more assertive when attacking the back post.
The most interesting part of Mastantuono’s profile is that he can be developed into a goalscoring forward or a playmaker, and as a best case, both at once.
Instead of hosting his own YouTube channel, Mastantuono’s name is now plastered all over those belonging to other people. Compilations of his goals and skills have been flooding the platform, particularly ahead of his move to the biggest football club in the world.
(Top photo: Daniel Jayo/Getty Images)
