‎Real Madrid miss out on Franco Mastantuono for Club World Cup as River Plate starlet nears €45m move

Real Madrid will not have the services of Franco Mastantuono for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, with the highly rated 17-year-old midfielder set to remain with River Plate for the tournament before completing a €45 million transfer to Spain.

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‎Real Madrid to sign Franco Mastantuono after Club World Cup. River Plate starlet plays final games before €45M move to Santiago Bernabéu.

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‎Despite successfully beating Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain to the teenager’s signature, Los Blancos could not finalize the deal in time for the restructured global competition. However, there is no risk of the agreement collapsing. The summer transfer window opens next week, and Mastantuono is expected to sign a six-year contract with Real Madrid immediately after the tournament.

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‎The rising Argentine star made headlines earlier this month when he became the youngest player in Argentina’s history to debut for the senior national team, coming on for Thiago Almada during a 1-0 victory over Chile at just 17 years and 296 days old.

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‎River Plate fans will have a few more chances to watch their homegrown wonderkid, as the club prepares to face Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey, and Inter Milan in Group E. These fixtures are set to be Mastantuono’s final matches in red before making the high-profile move to Madrid.

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‎Real Madrid’s strategy of investing in elite youth continues to pay dividends, with Mastantuono joining a long line of global talents recruited at a young age. River Plate president Jorge Brito recently acknowledged the inevitability of the transfer, saying, “There’s not much we can do.”

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‎Although the timing prevented Real Madrid from including the teenage sensation in their Club World Cup campaign, the long-term gain is evident. Mastantuono’s imminent arrival adds to a growing generation of youth stars at the Santiago Bernabéu.