Franco Mastantuono Makes History With Argentina’s No. 10 and Surpasses Diego Maradona

The most iconic jersey of the Argentina National Team had a clear owner: Lionel Messi. However, to avoid physical risk, it was decided that he wouldn’t travel to Guayaquil. The natural replacement seemed to be Thiago Almada, but a last-minute injury ruled him out.

That opened the door for Franco Mastantuono, the Real Madrid youngster, to wear the most sacred shirt in Argentine football. The No. 10, a symbol of legends like Maradona and Messi, ended up on the back of the teenager, barely 18 years old.

Mastantuono came on in the 62nd minute and became the youngest player in Argentina’s history to wear the No. 10: he did it at 18 years and 23 days. With that, he surpassed Diego Maradona, who first wore the shirt at 18 years, 9 months and 3 days.

Although Argentina was trailing at the time, the playmaker demanded the ball in every action, looked for combinations, and even attempted long-range shots. None changed the outcome, but he showed the personality needed to take on such a historic challenge.

After the match, head coach Lionel Scaloni explained how the decision was made: “Almada was going to wear the No. 10, but he couldn’t play because we preferred not to risk him in this game. So we gave it to Franco.”

The coach also praised the young Madrid player’s character: “Franco came in well, he has personality. He likes to play with the ball, he asks for it. The problem is that he entered at a time when Ecuador was sitting very deep and there was little space. The important thing is that he always tries, and he has personality.”

Mastantuono’s debut with the iconic No. 10 wasn’t brilliant in terms of footballing impact, but it was undeniably symbolic. His name is now etched in history as the youngest to wear the number immortalized by Maradona. With Scaloni’s confidence and the experience he continues to gain at Real Madrid, Argentina seems to have found a new key figure for the future.

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