Lionel Scaloni has a huge task in hand as Argentina want to reaffirm their world champions status as they defend their crown in the 2026 World Cup. However, the manager has to trim the possible roster to just 26 players. Real Madrid‘s winger Franco Mastantuono will reportedly be one of the names chopped from the final list.
As stated by TyC Sports, Franco Mastantuono won’t be a part of Argentina‘s 2026 World Cup roster. After all, Lionel Scaloni is the one deciding who to call. It seems like the left-footed winger didn’t do enough at Real Madrid this season to convince the Argentinian manager to include him.
Argentina have plenty of talent, so it wasn’t like Mastantuono was a sure-fire name. In fact, it’s one of the positions where Argentina have players with supreme skills. After a lackluster debut season for Madrid, Mastantuono will have to wait four more years to have the opportunity to play a World Cup.
Were Mastantuono’s numbers enough to consider him for the 2026 World Cup?
In the 2025-2026 season, Mastantuono played 35 games for Real Madrid across all competitions, starting 17 of those matches. However, the production was not great for the Argentinian. Mastantuono only scored three goals and provided zero assists for Madrid.
Franco Mastantuono was soo full of confidence at the start of the season
— Rk (@RkFutbol) April 26, 2026
He looks like a completely different player now. That injury really threw him off of his game.
I fully trust he will be back better than ever. I will keep my faith in this kid.
pic.twitter.com/hVkft2hIuO
Given that players like Guliano Simeone and Nico Gonzalez and the main man Lionel Messi all play right winger, it was an uphill battle for Mastantuono to make the final roster. After all, Simeone and Gonzalez had better seasons playing in LaLiga, facing the same opponents as Mastantuono.
Mastantuono will have plenty of chances in the future
Mastantuono was labeled as a gem from very early on in his career as he took the Argentinian league by storm as a mere teenager at River Plate. However, Mastantuono is just 18 years old. If nothing happens that hampers his career and he makes a comeback, Mastantuono could easily play in three World Cups by the age of 30.
Also, with how technology is evolving, players are taking leaps above expected longevity. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Mastantuono play a World Cup at 34 in 2042. For instance, Messi will play the 2026 World Cup at age 38. Messi is still regarded as one of the best players in soccer.
