River Plate s 17-year-old genius transfers to Real Madrid $72.6 million, setting Argentina football transfer record

Argentine Chinese Online Buenos Aires June 13th Argentine football industry ushered in a historic moment! River Plate Club's 17-year-old talented midfielder Franko Mastantuono officially transferred to Real Madrid, with a transfer fee of up to US$72.6 million, setting the highest transfer record in Argentina's football history. The highly anticipated transfer has finally settled. Mastantuono signed a six-year contract with Real Madrid from August 14, 2025 to June 30, 2031. It is worth noting that the Argentine star will not officially join the Spanish giants after participating in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

According to the official announcement of the River Plate Club, the total transfer amount is 63.2 million euros, or approximately US$72.6 million. Among them, Riverbed's net income is 45 million euros (about 51.7 million US dollars), and the remaining funds will be allocated to the Spanish tax department, the Player's Union, the Argentine Football Association fund, etc. according to regulations.

In this battle for European giants, Real Madrid eventually defeated Paris Saint-Germain. Paris even sent sporting director Luis Campos to Buenos Aires to lobby, but still failed to stop Mastantuono from choosing the Bernabeu.

Real Madrid's successful signing of the Argentine star is largely due to the personal charm of scout director Huni Carafate. The 52-year-old Espanyol has successfully operated transfers to many superstars such as Vinicius, Rodrigo, Valverde, Militon, Camawenga, and Bellingham. Faced with the strong offensive in Paris, Carafate flew to Buenos Aires in person to communicate in depth with Mastantuono's agent Walter Tamer and his family, which eventually led to the transfer.

Mastantuono's growth story is also eye-catching. This talented boy born on August 14, 2007 in Asul City, has shown extraordinary athletic talent since childhood. What is even more surprising is that he once swayed between football and tennis, and was once the top ten players in Argentina under 12 years old. In the end, his love for football made him choose the green field rather than the tennis court.

In 2019, 12-year-old Mastantuono officially joined the Riverbed Youth Training Camp. In the memories of riverbed scout Daniel Brizuela, convinced the Mastantuono family was a two-year process: "He had a prominent performance in tennis, and his family thought football was just a game, but when we saw him playing, we knew he had to bring him."

In the process of riverbed growth, Mastantuono continues to set new records. On January 28, 2024, he played for the first time on the River Plate first team at the age of 16, 5 months and 14 days, becoming the third youngest debut player in the club's history. A few weeks later, he scored against Ecurcionistas, becoming the youngest goal-scoring player in Riverbed history.

It is more worth mentioning that in the latest classic derby with Boca Youth, Mastantuono helped the Riverbed win with a wonderful free kick, becoming the youngest Riverbed player to score in the derby battle at the age of 17 years, 8 months and 13 days.

At the national team level, Mastantuono also made history and became the youngest official game player in the history of the Argentina national team. Technical coach Martin Pellegrino praised him: "He is very direct, has outstanding one-on-one ability and amazing shooting power. Such a player is not something you can see every day."

This record transfer not only reflects the value of Argentine football talents, but also marks a new height in South American football's talent delivery model to Europe. Mastantuono's successful transfer will undoubtedly inspire more young Argentine players to pursue their European dreams.

River Plate Club expressed its blessing to the young star in its official statement: "Thank you, Franko, thank you for your dedication and talent. It is our pride to watch you grow in the club. I wish you all the best in your new journey after the Club World Cup ".