Franco Mastantuono weighed in on the ongoing comparisons between himself and Lamine Yamal, admitting the Barcelona superstar is at an “incredible level” that currently succeeds his own.
A rivalry has been brewing between the two teenagers ever since Mastantuono joined Real Madrid this summer. Yamal and the Argentine share the same age, play the same position and represent the two biggest clubs in Spain. They both are even nursing a similar groin injury.
Heralded as one of the most exciting young talents in the sport, Mastantuono made the move to the Spanish capital and was immediately bombarded with Yamal comparisons that fueled high expectations, especially given Los Blancos’ attacking struggles in the 2024–25 season.
Yet Mastantuono played down the links to the 18-year-old phenom in an interview on
“I don’t like comparisons, but it’s always nice to have rivals of Lamine’s caliber, from Barcelona, from Spain. They motivate you to be even better, and hopefully, to stay like this for many years,” the forward said.
