Franco Mastantuono, the highly rated Argentine talent, broke an unspoken tradition during his unveiling at the Bernabéu. The teenager was officially presented as a Real Madrid player on his 18th birthday, signing a six-year deal with the club after passing his medical.
Los Blancos beat Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain to his signature, with club president Florentino Pérez introducing him to the media before he posed with his new No. 30 shirt.
However, the press conference took an unexpected turn when Mastantuono openly praised his football idol — Lionel Messi. An eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and a legendary figure at Barcelona, Messi has long been viewed as the ultimate rival in Madrid.
“For me, Messi is the best player in the world,” Mastantuono said. “I didn’t watch others like Alfredo Di Stéfano, but I have great respect for them.”
Such a statement has rarely gone down well among Madridistas, with history showing the reaction can be intense. Back in 2018, midfielder Federico Valverde had to issue a clarification after comments were interpreted as favouring Messi over Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
