Looking ahead to the match against River, scheduled for Wednesday, June 25 at Lumen Field for the third round of the group stage, Zanetti was clear: "Let's hope we don't have to suffer against him in the Club World Cup."
The vice president of Inter Milan described him as one of the greatest revelations in Argentine football and stated that a great future awaits him
Looking ahead to the match against River, scheduled for Wednesday, June 25 at Lumen Field for the third round of the group stage, Zanetti was clear: "Let's hope we don't have to suffer against him in the Club World Cup."
With less than three weeks to go before the start of the Club World Cup, Javier Zanetti once again spoke with admiration about Franco Mastantuono, the young gem from River who excelled under the guidance of Marcelo Gallardo.
"I believe he's one of the most important emerging talents to have appeared in Argentine soccer recently," said Pupi during an interview with ESPN. He added: "He's proving it. He's only 17 years old and it's surprising to see him play with the personality he shows on the field."
Zanetti, one of the players with the most appearances in the history of the Argentina National Team, also spoke about the possibility that the young player could be drafted by Lionel Scaloni for the next FIFA date, in which La Albiceleste will face Chile and Colombia. "He has a great future. It would be well deserved if he's drafted. Surely, River will be happy to have such a young and important player in its ranks," he emphasized.
A few weeks ago, the Inter executive had already praised the young man born in Azul, especially after the stunning free-kick goal he scored against Boca in the Superclásico. "He's a player any team would like to have. River is doing a great job and I don't know how much longer they'll be able to enjoy him," he also commented on ESPN.
Despite the interest he is generating in Europe, and when asked about a possible offer, Pupi clarified: "For Inter, he's expensive for his age. The time will come for us to sit down and plan for next season." It should be remembered that Mastantuono's contract expires in December 2026 and includes a release clause of 45 million dollars, which increases toward the end of each transfer window.
In any case, River's general secretary, Stefano Di Carlo, reassured fans by confirming that the talented midfielder will remain at the club at least until the end of the year, despite the fact that on August 14 he will reach the age of majority and the strong interest already shown by several European teams.