Softfootball reports that Real Madrid youngster Franco Mastantuono has described sharing the pitch with Argentina captain Lionel Messi as “the dream of my life” after featuring alongside his idol at Estadio Monumental on Thursday night.
Lionel Messi, just as he always does, entertained the sell-out spectators, where he dazzled and scored a brace for the World Cup defending champions against Venezuela.
Mastantuono, 18, who made the starting line-up for Lionel Scaloni, played for 63 minutes before he was substituted for Nicolas Gonzalez. Despite not making any shots on target on the evening for his country, Mastantuono said he had a fulfilling game, being privileged to play alongside Lionel Messi.
As revealed by transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, he shared on his X handle the thoughts of the young Real Madrid players who joined the Spanish giants this season.
Fabrizio wrote that:
Playing with Messi was the dream of my life. “Today being able to play with him here, on River’s field, is something incredible. As I’ve always said, he’s been my idol since I was a kid.
Mastantuono, having since joined Real Madrid from River Plate, has been linked to possessing an embodiment of talents, with former Madrid star Angel Di Maria describing him as a magician. So far, Franco has played in all of Madrid’s last three La Liga games.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi has been confirmed to miss Argentina’s next World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador due to an injury he sustained during the country’s 3-0 win over Venezuela.
By sitting out against Ecuador, the Argentine legend will miss a unique opportunity to set a CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers record on his own. With Thursday’s appearance, Messi drew level with Ecuadorian defender Ivan Hurtado as the all-time leader in South American World Cup qualifier appearances with 72.
Messi now has 36 goals in South American World Cup qualifiers and remains as the all-time scoring leader. His Inter Miami teammate, Luis Suarez, has 29 goals in continental qualifying, but he has retired from Uruguay’s national team. Bolivia’s Marcelo Moreno Martins is third with 22.
