A Dream Home Debut in Messi’s Farewell

Argentina’s 3-0 win over Venezuela at the Monumental will be remembered as Messi’s final official World Cup Qualifier on Argentine soil. But it also turned into a special night for Franco Mastantuono, who experienced a dream debut as a starter with La Albiceleste.

The 18-year-old midfielder, recently signed by Real Madrid, shared minutes with his lifelong idol in a setting filled with symbolism. Surrounded by banners, chants, and the emotion of seeing Messi with his family, Mastantuono wrote his own chapter in a historic evening.

The Play That Sparked Tension

Amid the celebrations, Mastantuono admitted he had a particular moment with the captain. In one play, he combined with Messi but chose to take a shot instead of returning the pass. The reaction was immediate: “He wanted to kill me, but he understood. I apologized for the play,” the youngster recalled with a laugh after the match.

The young midfielder didn’t hide the mix of nerves and admiration he felt sharing the pitch with his idol. “It was incredible to play with him. Honestly, it was the dream of my life. I watched his entire career, and to do it at River’s stadium was unbelievable,” he explained emotionally.

An Idol and His Heir

What could have been just a small detail ended up as an anecdote that reflects both Messi’s natural character and the hope of a new generation. Mastantuono’s presence in the lineup symbolized that passing of the torch, while fans paid eternal tribute to the No. 10 with banners, drums, and chants of his name.

Messi’s farewell was much more than a football match. For Mastantuono, that night meant fulfilling a lifelong dream and, in the process, receiving the blessing of the idol who shaped his life and that of an entire nation.