Franco Mastantuono named among Golden Boy 2025 candidates

The prestigious Golden Boy award, presented annually by Italian newspaper Tuttosport to the best Under-21 player in European football, has announced its 100-player shortlist for 2025. Among the nominees is Franco Mastantuono, who stands out as the only Argentine on this year’s list.

Until recently, Mastantuono was not in contention for the award while playing for River Plate. His transfer to Real Madrid this summer immediately elevated his profile, placing him within the top 20 of the Golden Boy Football Benchmark Index. The index evaluates young players born after January 1, 2005, considering their performances, minutes on the pitch, level of competition, and contributions with their national teams.

At 18, Mastantuono holds a score of 73.4, ranking 20th overall and second among South American players, just behind Brazilian forward Estevão (Chelsea), who sits in 17th place with 73.5.

Since joining Real Madrid, Mastantuono has already started in two of his first three matches. On the international stage, he has also begun making his mark: starting for Argentina against Venezuela and later coming off the bench against Ecuador, where he wore the iconic No. 10 jersey in Lionel Messi’s absence.

Mastantuono joins a select group of Argentines who have been in the spotlight for this award. So far, only two players from Argentina have won the Golden Boy: Lionel Messi in 2005 and Sergio Agüero in 2007. Other notable past winners include Wayne Rooney (2004), Paul Pogba (2013), Kylian Mbappé (2017), Erling Haaland (2020), and Jude Bellingham (2023). Last year, Argentina had three names on the shortlist—Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton), and Valentín Carboni (Monza)—but none managed to secure the prize.

Currently topping the Golden Boy Index is Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, followed by France’s Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain) and Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona). However, Yamal will not be able to claim the award this time, as the rules prevent any player from winning the Golden Boy more than once. Yamal already secured the trophy in 2024, opening the door for a new winner this year.