As Lionel Messi’s career nears its end, Argentina are beginning to make room for young players who are gradually proving their talent. Among them are Nicolas Paz and Franco Mastantuono, two rising stars that Lionel Scaloni recently addressed.
“They are important players for us,” the head coach said during the post-match press conference following Tuesday’s friendly against Puerto Rico, in which Argentina won 6–0 in Miami. “They’re both left-footed, play in similar positions, although they have different characteristics.”
However, Scaloni was very clear when discussing their current place in the squad’s structure. “They’re young players who, at the moment, don’t have a place in the starting eleven,” the coach said honestly. “But the idea is to give them minutes. We’re still testing things out.”
Mastantuono and Paz share traits that make them comparable. Both are creative, left-footed players who prefer to operate on the right wing and cut inside toward more central areas. The challenge they face right now is that Argentina already have another player with that exact same profile: Lionel Messi.
Lionel Scaloni, coach of Argentina.
At 38, the Inter Miami forward remains a key figure for his national team, and that’s unlikely to change ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026. That means Franco and Nicolas will likely have to wait at least another year before truly staking a claim to a permanent role. “They’ll probably be able to coexist in the future,” Scaloni added.
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How did Paz and Mastantuono perform during the FIFA break?
The outcome of Argentina’s October friendlies was very different for the two young players. Nicolas Paz started in the first match, against Venezuela. Taking advantage of Messi’s absence, he played in that right-wing role with the freedom to drift into central positions.
Paz played the full 90 minutes and came close to scoring his first goal with Argentina, hitting the crossbar with a powerful shot. In the second match, against Puerto Rico, he came off the bench in the 58th minute, replacing Giuliano Simeone.
Mastantuono’s situation was entirely different. He picked up a minor physical issue during the early days of training in the United States and was therefore left out of the squad for the match against Venezuela. Franco then returned to Spain to rejoin Real Madrid and focus on his recovery, missing the friendly against Puerto Rico as well.
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Argentina have a very promising generation of young talent
The question posed to Lionel Scaloni about Franco Mastantuono and Nicolas Paz could have just as easily applied to other players. Argentina have a deep pool of young stars who have been shining at club level and are beginning to earn opportunities with the national team.
Genoa’s Valentin Carboni has a similar profile to both players and already boasts valuable experience with Argentina: he was part of the squad that won Copa America 2024 and even appeared in a match. Claudio Echeverri, recently loaned by Manchester City to Bayer Leverkusen, has also been called up to the senior national team, though he has yet to make his official debut.
Other attacking midfielders and wingers that could be added to the list include Chelsea’s Alejandro Garnacho and Facundo Buonanotte, as well as Velez Sarsfield’s Maher Carrizo, one of the standout performers at the U-20 World Cup currently taking place in Chile. A unique case is that of Matias Soule, who has been shining with AS Roma and, due to limited opportunities with Argentina, is rumored to be considering switching allegiances to represent Italy.
