Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and River Plate’s Franco Mastantuono must be given time to develop, so says former France striker David Trezeguet.
Yamal and Mastantuono are dazzling fans at the age of 17.
Mastantuono has reportedly piqued the interest of some of Europe’s biggest clubs after a breakthrough campaign at River, while Yamal has been sensational over the past two seasons for Barca.
Yamal also played a crucial role in Spain’s Euro 2024 success.
“Yamal is a pure, unique talent, a player who has proven to be different from the rest,” said Trezeguet, who won the 1998 World Cup with France.
Of Mastantuono, Trezeguet added: “[He is] demonstrating all his qualities at a very young age.”
Yamal has already made 103 appearances for Barca, scoring 23 goals and providing 27 assists. He is on the verge of helping the Blaugrana secure a LaLiga-Copa del Rey double.
“They’ll have time to perfect everything else,” continued Trezeguet.
“They’re young. But I think it’s important for football in general to have this type of player who serves as an example for the younger players.”
17 – At 17 years and 291 days, Lamine Yamal is the youngest player to score in a @ChampionsLeague semi-final, surpassing Kylian Mbappé in 2017 (18 years and 140 days).
Leader. pic.twitter.com/TOR97CXBx3
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) April 30, 2025
Juan Pablo Sorin, who played for both River and Barcelona, said he would like to see both players continue their development.
“I don’t like comparisons, because I think it’s like limiting the player who’s emerging. It’s the same thing that happened to Lamine and Leo [Messi],” the former Argentina defender told Reuters.
“It’s true that the position is similar, but I think the characteristics are different, and I think each player has their own potential, qualities, and areas for improvement.
Both Trezeguet and Sorin said River Plate fans should make the most of Mastantuono’s time there as he would likely continue his career in Europe soon.
“We have to let them complete all the stages. They have to play, have fun, and continue to show off their talent and their audacity. They have a lot of personality,” Sorin said.
“What really catches my attention about both of them is how effective they are with the number of balls they touch. They make most of them effective, and that’s impressive for their age.”
