Madrid loanee Mastantuono breaks Messi’s record with Serie A hat-trick

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Real Madrid loanee Franco Mastantuono made history after becoming the youngest Argentine player to score a hat-trick in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

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As reported by Planet Football on Sunday, the 19-year-old winger scored three goals as Fiorentina came from behind to beat Venezia 4-2 in Serie A, securing their first points of the season in emphatic fashion.

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Mastantuono was 19 years and 28 days old when he achieved the feat, making him 231 days younger than Lionel Messi was when the Barcelona legend scored his first hat-trick in one of Europe’s major leagues.

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Two of Mastantuono’s goals came within just 108 seconds as Fiorentina overturned a one-goal deficit and completed a memorable comeback.

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The performance could prove to be an important turning point for Mastantuono, who endured a difficult start after moving to Italy on loan from Real Madrid.

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Fiorentina had lost the first three matches in which the Argentine featured, but his outstanding display against Venezia offered a glimpse of the potential that prompted Real Madrid to sign him from River Plate for €45m in 2025.

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Mastantuono made 35 appearances for Real Madrid last season before being loaned to Fiorentina for the current campaign.

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His difficult first year in Madrid also contributed to him missing out on Argentina’s World Cup squad, but his latest performance could strengthen his case for a return to the national team setup.

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The youngster has never hidden his admiration for Messi. He chose the number 30 shirt at Real Madrid, the same number Messi wore when he began his Barcelona career.

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Mastantuono also praised Messi during his presentation at Madrid, describing the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner as the best player in the world.

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Speaking about his playing style, Mastantuono said he is comfortable operating in different attacking positions.

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“I’m an offensive player, left-footed, right-footed… I don’t like to describe myself; I prefer others to do it,” he said.

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“What’s certain is that I’m going to give it my all. I’m going to be there in whatever way I can to help the team.”

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He added: “I’m here to help in any way I can, although I’m more accustomed to starting on the right and coming inside.”

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Mastantuono’s record-breaking hat-trick ended a mark that Messi had held for almost 30 years. Messi famously scored his first hat-trick for Barcelona against Real Madrid in 2007.

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By the end of his teenage years, Messi had scored 30 goals for Barcelona, while Mastantuono currently has 16 senior career goals.

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However, Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal is already setting an even higher benchmark among teenage stars. Born just a month before Mastantuono, Yamal has scored 54 goals for the Catalan club.

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