Mastantuono's unforgettable birthday, coming of age, and debut for Real Madrid: "This was my dream. I'm going to give my life for this shirt."

A birthday with a triple gift: signing a contract, presentation by Florentino Pérez, and a grand entrance into the first team. Argentine Franco Mastantuono reached the age of majority this Thursday and has now joined Xabi Alonso 's squad. At the beginning of the summer, Real Madrid paid River Plate €45 million (although the deal rose to €63 million due to tax payments to the Spanish and Argentine tax authorities) for the versatile attacker, but did not formalize the signing until now so as not to violate FIFA regulations on underage players.

Since August 3, Mastantuono has been training alone at Valdebebas. His contract expires in June 2031, and the club's coaching staff intends for him to make his debut next Tuesday in the league opener against Osasuna .

"I'm fulfilling my dream of being at the biggest club in the world. This is a day that will go down in my history. I want to thank my family for all the support I've received and for the values that come from my inner circle," Mastantuono exclaimed at his official presentation, which was attended by Florentino Pérez, Emilio Butragueño, Santiago Solari, Pirri, and Roberto Carlos, among others.

"I still have to keep improving. I promise I'll give my all for this shirt; it's a dream I've always had. You'll be one more fan on the pitch . Thanks to everyone, and... Hala Madrid!" exclaimed the young player at the Valdebebas Football City. He will wear the number 30 this season.

Florentino Pérez welcomed the new player, reminding him that he joins a "great family, with 650 million followers on social media around the world ." "Franco Mastantuono is one of the greatest talents to have emerged in football," the president emphasized. "Congratulations on your birthday and on fulfilling your dream of playing for Real Madrid... You come from River Plate, a club with which we have a historic and sentimental connection. Our always beloved Alfredo Di Stefano paved the way for making the club one of the greatest in the world."

Mastantuono has broken a record for precocity in Argentina : he is the youngest player to make his debut in an official match with the national team: at 17 years, nine months and 22 days, in a match against Chile played on June 5.

Franco Mastantuono is the latest Argentine to be signed by Real Madrid, the previous one being Ángel di María , who played for the Bernabéu club from June 2010 to August 2014.

In Argentina, he's considered the greatest talent to emerge in recent seasons. Various coaches claim that his early emergence is reminiscent of Maradona and Messi . Real Madrid's new signing is a highly skilled left-footed attacking midfielder whose movement, dribbling, and shooting resemble the Colombian James Rodríguez .