Tuttosport, the outlet responsible for the award, included the Argentine as one of the 25 best Under-21 players worldwide for the season
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Franco Mastantuono, one of Real Madrid's greatest prospects, has been included among the 25 finalists for the 2025 Golden Boy, the award given each year by the Italian newspaper Tuttosport to the best Under-21 footballer in the world. The attacking midfielder, who came up through River, is the only Argentine nominee in this edition and keeps alive the hope that the award will return to Argentine hands almost two decades later.
Throughout its existence, the Golden Boy has recognized renowned figures such as Wayne Rooney (2004), Paul Pogba (2013), Kylian Mbappé (2017), Erling Haaland (2020), and Jude Bellingham (2023). In this edition, Real Madrid dominates the list with three representatives: in addition to Mastantuono, Dean Huijsen and Arda Güler are also included, two of the gems of the club's youth project.
Mastantuono's career took an exponential leap after his arrival at the Spanish team. Since then, he has been a regular starter and was also part of the Argentina National Team, where he even wore the number 10 jersey against Ecuador at the end of the South American Qualifiers, in the absence of Lionel Messi.
Mastantuono viene teniendo un gran presente en el Real Madrid
The 18-year-old Argentine is experiencing a brilliant moment and dreams of continuing the legacy of his idols. His performance positions him not only as one of the most promising young players on the planet but also as a possible replacement in the 2026 World Cup, a goal he doesn't hide.
Although in the Golden Boy Football Benchmark Index ranking, the Spaniard Lamine Yamal appears at the top, he will not be able to win the award again, since he won it in 2024. This situation opens the door for new winners and keeps Argentine hopes alive with Mastantuono as the standard-bearer, although he will not have it easy against his teammates and rivals of the caliber of Désiré Doué (PSG), Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona), and Kenan Yildiz (Juventus).
Since the creation of the award in 2003, only two Argentines have won the Golden Boy: Lionel Messi (2005), who was also twice "Silver Boy," in 2006 behind Spaniard Cesc Fabregas and in 2007 behind his compatriot Sergio Agüero, who in turn was "Bronze Boy" in 2008, surpassed by Brazilian Anderson Oliveira and Englishman Theo Walcott.
