Argentina are seeing an increasing number of players choosing to represent the national team despite being born in other countries—a trend likely driven by the opportunity to one day play alongside Lionel Messi. Joining the precedents set by Nico Paz and Alejandro Garnacho, the latest addition is Mauro Del Castillo. Born in Madrid to an Argentine father, the youngster is set to join the Argentina U16 squad.
Facundo Quiroga, head coach of the Argentine youth divisions, handed a first-ever call-up to the goalkeeper, who currently plays for Real Madrid’s ‘Cadete B’ side. This selection has caused a stir within the Spanish federation, as the player had previously been called up to Spain’s U15 roster.
Mauro Del Castillo Mustafá—a goalkeeper like his father, who played for Argentino de Quilmes in Argentina—was born on February 2, 2011, in the Spanish capital. He joined Real Madrid’s academy in 2024 from Rayo Vallecano and he is the only player based abroad in the current youth call-up and began training this week at the AFA headquarters alongside the rest of the squad.
To date, only Paz and Garnacho have successfully broken into the senior team. Meanwhile, Mallorca defender Pablo Maffeo, also born in Spain, was called up for two World Cup Qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil, though he did not see any minutes.
Nico Paz playing for Argentina alongside Lionel Messi. (Getty Images)
Additionally, Spanish-born goalkeeper Jose Alberto Castelau and German-born forward Can Armando Guner have also committed to Argentina, having represented the nation at the U17 World Cup.
Alarm bells ringing in Spain
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In Spain, the news is being viewed through a completely different lens. With the number of such cases rising, the Spanish soccer community is viewing the situation with growing concern rather than sympathy.
In fact, Mundo Deportivo reports that La Fábrica—the renowned Real Madrid youth academy—is witnessing several of its top prospects choose to represent other nations despite being born in Spain and having developed within the Spanish youth system.
Mauro Del Castillo is merely the latest example in a list that extends beyond those leaning toward Argentina. In fact, Del Castillo has a teammate in the ‘Cadete B’ side, Gorka Abascal, who also decided to play for Colombia after making his debut for Spain this past November.
Various outlets are also highlighting other recent departures, such as center-back Edu Valentin, who is already serving as a captain for Romania, and Leo Lemaitre, who opted for France despite having previously featured in several matches for Spain.
