World Cup fear grips Real Madrid wonderkid 

Real Madrid teenager Franco Mastantuono is facing an anxious wait over his World Cup future as Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni weighs up the final decisions for his 26-man squad ahead of the 2026 tournament.

The 18-year-old attacking prospect remains part of Argentina’s provisional group training in Buenos Aires, but his place in the final squad is still uncertain following a challenging first campaign with Real Madrid.

Scaloni is expected to confirm the defending champions’ final squad before the weekend, with several positions still under discussion inside the Argentine camp.

“We still have doubts that we will resolve over the coming days,” Scaloni admitted while discussing the pending selection decisions.

Mastantuono joined the national team setup immediately after the club season ended, hoping to convince the coaching staff he deserves a place on football’s biggest stage despite limited impact during his debut season in Spain.

Argentina’s technical team have spent recent days reviewing each player individually, with Scaloni insisting the final selections will depend largely on form levels and physical readiness heading into the tournament.

By those standards, Mastantuono is believed to have improved his standing considerably. Reports from the camp indicate the youngster has arrived in outstanding physical condition, something that has worked strongly in his favour during evaluations.

However, fitness is not believed to be the major concern surrounding his case. Instead, the uncertainty appears linked to tactical and technical considerations as Scaloni attempts to balance experience with emerging talent in the final squad.

Should Mastantuono fail to survive the final cut, sources close to the camp suggest the decision would be based purely on football reasons rather than any injury or conditioning issue.

The teenager’s situation has attracted growing attention in Argentina, especially with speculation also mounting over his club future. A temporary loan move away from Real Madrid is already being discussed after a difficult first year at the Santiago Bernabéu.

For now, though, Mastantuono’s immediate focus remains fixed on one objective — securing a place on the plane to the World Cup.