Every new generation of Argentine football gets its ‘new Messi’ — and now that label is being actively applied to Franco Mastantuono. The left-footed player, capable of playing both in attack and midfield, has already made his way from the River Plate academy to Real Madrid and his debut for the national team, and his style is attracting the attention of tactical analysts around the world.

Interest in Mastantuono extends far beyond Argentina: the player's profile, statistics and tactical analysis of his actions are increasingly found on specialised platforms and analytical resources such as https://winthere.org.uk/, where he is regarded not only as a prodigy, but also as an established creative midfielder of European calibre.

Position on the pitch and basic player profile

Tactically, Franco is a typical representative of the modern hybrid role between the wing and the centre. Formally, he most often plays as:

• a right winger who moves to the centre to shoot with his left foot;
• an attacking midfielder (No. 10) behind the forward;
• sometimes as an ‘interior’ in a midfield trio responsible for moving the ball forward.

The key technical marker is his working left foot. This determines his patterns: he likes to receive the ball on the right flank, move it to his left and either shoot from outside the penalty area or cut through the defence with a subtle pass. The combination of dribbling and shooting makes him dangerous both along the line of the ball and on rebounds.

This profile resembles that of a classic elite attacking midfielder: Franco is not a pure winger or a static playmaker in the centre, but a player who constantly drifts between the lines, creating overloads and breaking down the opponent's structure.

Role in attack: decisions in the final third

Playing between the lines and on the half-flanks

Mastantuono's main area of influence is the space between the opponent's midfield and defence. He often drops back slightly to receive the ball on the run, turn and attack at speed. An important point is that he does not stand with his back to goal like a classic target man, but tries to open up at an angle to receive a pass so that he can immediately dribble or shoot.

The half-wing is the ideal decision-making point for him:

from here, he can:

• play a diagonal pass to the far wing;
• play a one-two with a striker;
• dribble through the centre and finish the attack himself.

Thanks to this, Franco becomes not only a finisher, but also a creator of opportunities for his teammates.

Dribbling and one-on-one moves

In individual situations, Mastantuono acts boldly: he is not afraid to take on the game even against tight marking. His dribbling is not based on showmanship, but on combinations:

• quick changes of pace;
• short touches;
• body shifts when the ball is practically ‘glued’ to his left foot.

An important detail is that he rarely goes for meaningless dribbling near the sideline. More often, his dribbling is directed inward: every move is necessary to get into a more advantageous position for a shot or pass.

Shots and set pieces

For a young player, Franco already has a mature shot. He is dangerous:

• when shooting from outside the penalty area after shifting his body;
• on rebounds after unsuccessful clearances by defenders;
• when taking free kicks — a classic left-footed arc with a trajectory ‘over the wall’.

This makes him one of the key players for set pieces and semi-set pieces — corners, short plays, and back passes for a shot.

Influence in midfield: ball progression and pressing

Progression from deep

When Mastantuono plays closer to the centre, his role changes, but the principles remain the same: he is responsible for the transition from the second phase to the third — from building the attack to intensifying it.

He willingly:

• drops back to the midfielders to get the ball;
• escapes pressure with his first touch and turn;
• drags the ball forward instead of getting rid of it immediately.

This is especially valuable in teams that build their game through positional attacks: Franco is capable of turning an episode from ‘control for control's sake’ into a concrete intensification.

Work without the ball and pressing

Young technical attacking players often suffer from poor work without the ball, but in the case of Mastantuono, coaches note his high willingness to work in pressing. His tasks are to:

• cut off passing lanes from the centre to the wing;
• aggressively challenge for the ball after a loss;
• cover the full-back if the opponent's attack is coming through his zone.

This is what makes him useful not only in spectacular highlights, but also in the ‘dirty work’ that is an important component of modern football.

‘The new Messi’ or his own path?

Comparisons with Messi are both a compliment and a risk. Yes, Franco has several things in common with him:

• he is left-footed;
• he likes to move from the wing to the centre;
• he combines dribbling and passing in one move.

But tactically, he is closer to a hybrid midfielder/winger of the new generation than to the classic ‘false nine’ of Messi's early era. He works more within the team structure, drops deeper more often, and participates more in pressing and building attacks.

What is more important is not whether he will become ‘someone new,’ but how consistently he will be able to:

• make the right decisions under pressure;
• maintain his level of play over the course of the season;
• adapt to the demands of top European clubs and the national team.

If he manages to withstand the media pressure, not ‘burn out’ under the weight of expectations and continue to develop as quickly as he is now, Franco Mastantuono may well become not the ‘new Messi,’ but the first, unique version of himself — an attacking midfielder who fits perfectly into the tactical reality of modern football.