Franco Mastantuono is living the dream after making his Real Madrid debut at just 18 years old in the LaLiga opener against Osasuna. His appearance for the Spanish giants immediately sparked comparisons with fellow Argentine Lionel Messi, raising the question: how old was Messi when he first took the field for Barcelona?
While Mastantuono debuted for Madrid at 18, Messi made his first appearance for Barcelona at only 16 years old. That came on November 16, 2003, in a friendly against Porto during the inauguration of the Portuguese club’s new stadium.
Messi came off the bench in the 71st minute to replace Fernando Navarro, with Frank Rijkaard managing the squad. The match ended in a 2–0 defeat for Barça, but it marked the opening page of what would become a legendary career in Spain.
Messi’s official debut would arrive nearly a year later, on October 16, 2004. The then-17-year-old entered in the 82nd minute, replacing Deco, during Barcelona’s 1–0 away victory over Espanyol — a moment that officially launched one of the greatest stories in soccer history.
On the other side, Mastantuono made his Real Madrid debut by coming on in the 68th minute for Brahim Diaz. The young Argentine nearly capped the night with a goal late in the match, but his effort was denied by Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera.
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Still, Mastantuono was warmly welcomed by the Madrid faithful. As he stepped onto the pitch, fans inside the Bernabeu serenaded him with a chant of his name — a sign of the excitement surrounding his future with the club.
Messi’s historic legacy at Barcelona
The Argentine is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in soccer history — and the greatest ever to wear a Barcelona shirt. Messi joined the club at just 13 years old and went on to play 17 seasons with the first team, appearing in 779 official matches and scoring 672 goals. Both marks stand as all-time club records.
In terms of trophies, Messi won everything there was to win with Barcelona. His honors include 10 La Liga titles, four Champions League crowns, seven Copa del Rey trophies, eight Spanish Super Cups, four UEFA Super Cups and three FIFA Club World Cups. On an individual level, he earned a record eight Ballon d’Or awards and six European Golden Shoes as La Liga’s top scorer.
While matching Messi’s accomplishments is nearly impossible, Franco Mastantuono hopes to build a legacy of his own at Real Madrid — a journey that officially began with his debut against Osasuna.
