• Franco Mastantuono excluded from Argentina’s final 26-man World Cup squad
• 18-year-old becomes fifth Real Madrid player to miss 2026 tournament
• Lionel Scaloni selects just seven La Liga stars, with Atletico Madrid providing six

Real Madrid are counting the cost of a disappointing campaign after another first-team star received devastating international news. The Spanish club failed to lift any major silverware this term, and that poor form has now denied several players the chance to compete on the biggest stage this summer.

Argentina winger Franco Mastantuono is the latest Los Blancos player to be snubbed for the World Cup. National team manager Lionel Scaloni confirmed his final squad for the tournament in North America, omitting the teenager despite including him in March’s international fixtures.

This rejection makes Mastantuono the fifth Madrid star to miss out, joining Eduardo Camavinga, Dani Carvajal, Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the sidelines. The youngster moved to the Santiago Bernabéu last summer in a €45 million deal and began life positively in the Spanish capital. However, his influence waned as the season progressed, and he appeared short of confidence during the closing weeks of the campaign.

Although the 18-year-old has earned four senior caps for the Albiceleste, Scaloni has opted against taking him to the United States, Canada and Mexico. Instead, the coach has selected seven domestic-based players, with city rivals Atletico Madrid providing the bulk of the contingent. Giuliano Simeone, Thiago Almada, Julian Alvarez, Nicolas Gonzalez, Nahuel Molina and Juan Musso all represent the Rojiblancos, while Giovani Lo Celso of Real Betis also features.

Notably, midfielder Nico Paz has been included despite currently playing for Italian club Como. The 20-year-old is expected to complete a return to Real Madrid this summer, and he will join Lionel Messi in the final squad.

• Alvaro Arbeloa has praised the quality and character of two young Real Madrid players facing uncertain futures at the club.
• Gonzalo Garcia, who has attracted interest from Borussia Dortmund, deserves more playing time according to his manager.
• Franco Mastantuono could leave on loan this summer despite Arbeloa insisting the 18-year-old possesses an ‘extraordinary future’.

Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has publicly supported two of his young players who might leave the club this summer. The coach spoke about Franco Mastantuono and Gonzalo Garcia as speculation about their futures grows stronger.

Los Blancos plan to make big changes to their squad during the transfer window. Both Garcia and Mastantuono could be part of these changes. However, Arbeloa believes both men have bright futures ahead of them.

The manager admitted that his team sometimes shows weakness in their mental approach during the season. But he rejected claims that the squad lacks strong leaders.

“We have a very young team. You can see this when you look at our average age,” Arbeloa explained during his press briefing. “But these are excellent footballers. They have strong characters and plenty of experience. They have done very good work. Yes, some situations have occurred where we need to understand them better. This is where you see the mistakes that young players make. Still, we are talking about top players with leadership qualities and strong personalities.”

Garcia is the player most likely to leave. The 22-year-old striker scored the most goals at the Club World Cup last summer. However, he has played very little this season. German club Borussia Dortmund wants to sign him.

Arbeloa said the final decision rests with the player and the club. He praised Garcia’s abilities and work ethic.

“These choices belong to the player and the club. They will make the decision. I know Gonzalo very well. He has amazing skills. He deserves to play more than he currently does. But I see him training hard. He has a fantastic future waiting for him. His position has very tough competition. This does not mean he is performing badly. Whenever I have called upon him, he has performed well.”

Mastantuono also faces an uncertain future. The 18-year-old might go out on loan after finding opportunities hard to come by following a promising beginning to the campaign. Endrick Felipe’s successful spell at Olympique Lyon has made people wonder if Mastantuono should follow the same path.

Arbeloa spoke highly of the Argentine teenager’s dedication and talent.

“He is a young man who puts in great effort,” the manager stated. “When he gets on the pitch, he wants to prove his worth. He wants to show why Real Madrid bought him. He could easily play for the youth side, but he possesses such skill and maturity. He does not behave like an 18-year-old. He has an amazing future ahead because of his ability, his dedication, and his mindset. Argentine players usually settle in well at Real Madrid. He has everything needed to succeed here. I hope we can watch him play for us for many years.”

Mastantuono started regularly during the first month under previous coach Xabi Alonso. However, he lost his place after Jude Bellingham returned to the team. His frustration reached a peak when he received a red card in a 1-0 home defeat to Getafe. With five matches remaining this season, he has played 1,265 minutes across 30 games.